


Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?

by xcourtney_chaoticx



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Light Angst, Original Character(s), Post-Canon Fix-It, also archaeology, everyone's here, kind of, lots of friendship - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22188499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xcourtney_chaoticx/pseuds/xcourtney_chaoticx
Summary: While still grieving the loss of the Pharaoh, an archaeology student and friend of Isis invites everyone to come view a recently discovered tomb she believes is the true tomb of the Pharaoh.Yuugi must come to terms with the loss of the Pharaoh, someone who was part of him for so long, and relearn what it means to be just Yuugi.Seto is still struggling with the realization that all this magic he'd been denying may have some merit.Sara, the archaeology post-grad, just really wants to be able to finish her dissertation on the Nameless Pharaoh... though making an important discovery would be pretty awesome, too.
Relationships: Atem & Priest Seto, Kaiba Seto & Mutou Yuugi
Comments: 11
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic came into being because in YuGiOh GX at one point Atem's name is in a history book, and being the historian I am, I needed to know who did that research and put his name out there. While Sugoroku is/was a prominent archaeologist/treasure hunter at one point, I don't know that he would've been able to just go out there and be like 'yup this pharaoh who no one knew his name? we have it now!' and have the archaeological community actually just believe it with no evidence. Same for Yuugi and his friends.
> 
> So, I decided to write a fic about the archeology doctoral student who found all the information and had the evidence to actually back it all up!
> 
> I'm using the Japanese names because, well, they are Japanese, and I'm using the same fiction magic the show/manga uses for everyone to understand each other. (I mean... look at Bandit Keith. You really think someone that rah-rah-Murica would learn another language? hell no.)
> 
> (there will be a day i stop using hamilton lyrics as titles but it is not this day)

It’s strange, this mix of loss and satisfaction. They’ve done what they set out to do. The spirit of the Pharaoh is at peace, but that also means he is gone. It means he’s left them for the spirit world. Effectively, he’s died. Yuugi is still crying, as is Anzu. Jonouchi and Honda are trying to keep it together and _pretend_ they’re not crying, while Bakura attempts to soothe Yuugi’s sadness. Isis, Malik, and Rishid huddle nearby, unsure of what to do with themselves now that their task is done. Otogi stands off to the side with Yuugi’s grandpa. Mokuba stands with Seto, and Seto… Seto isn’t sure what he’s feeling.

For so long now, he’s been focused on defeating the Pharaoh, so focused that he never even thought a day would come when the Pharaoh would be gone. Defeating Yuugi might ease the sting a little, but Yuugi is not the Pharaoh. He’s strangely angry that all Isis’ mumbo jumbo turned out to be true. If he hadn’t seen it all with his own eyes, including the ancient past, he’d still be denying it. _I must still be processing it._

He looks up at the sound of a slight commotion. A vehicle is approaching, throwing up a dust cloud. Isis doesn’t seem concerned about it, nor do Malik and Rishid, so Seto isn’t concerned, either. When it stops, someone hops out, calling, “Isis! Isis, there you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

It’s a young woman. She jogs over, completely unbothered by the sun and heat, andas she closes in on them, Seto feels a strange tug in his gut. _No… it can’t be._ She’s tall, with skin still fair, a flush in her cheeks, and long white hair that’s been piled into a bun on top of her head. When she takes off her sunglasses, she reveals eyes of a vivid blue. Seto’s breath catches in his throat.

“I wanted to show you!” she says excitedly, “We’re making a lot of headway on that tomb we found, and it’s amazing! It’s so different from any we’ve found before! This could be how I get my field research extended! I might even be able to finish my dissertation!”

“That’s wonderful news, Sara! Oh, here, let me introduce you to everyone. My friends, this is Sara Keyes, a doctoral student in Egyptology from America…”

Seto barely listens to the rest of the introductions, offering only a nod when he hears his own name. _Of course… of course her name is Sara Keyes…_

“What-? Wait a minute! You-! I know you!”

For a brief moment, Seto is sure she means him, then wavers and thinks she might mean Yuugi, but she shoves past everyone, saying, “You’re Dr. Sugoroku Mutou! You’re the only one who’s ever published research on the Nameless Pharaoh! Your research inspired me to study him. Wow, I can’t believe I actually get to meet you!”

“You’re studying the Pharaoh?” Yuugi asks.

“Yep! Ever since I saw that tablet featuring him and Pharaoh Set, I’ve wanted to know more about them. More accurately, I’m studying the period of transition between the rule of Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, his son, and Pharaoh Set. It’s such an interesting period, yet we know so little about it,” she explains, “But I think this new tomb is going to shed _a lot_ of light on this period. It’s just so unique. You all should come see it!”

“We’d love to visit!” Yuugi says, turning to everyone, and Bakura adds, “Yes, it would be so interesting to see a new archaeological find up close.”

Seto feels Mokuba tug at his arm and looks down to see pleading eyes, Mokuba begging, “Can we go, Seto? Can we? Please?”

He doesn’t want to. He wants to go home and return to his regular life running KaibaCorp and making people cry, but Mokuba…

“Fine. We can go, but we’re not staying long, understand?”

Mokuba’s little cheer does give him a spark of joy, just as it always does. _I do want to make him happy, and once he’s happy, we’ll leave._

“Well, we have two jeeps, Isis, so we just need to figure out how to split everyone up to get to the site,” Sara says.

“You should take Yuugi, Dr. Mutou, Seto, and Mokuba with you, Sara. We’ll travel with everyone else. I _know_ Malik will drive safely,” she teases, causing her brother to give her a dirty look.

“Sounds good to me, C’mon everyone, load up!”

She smiles bright, though it flickers ever so briefly as she locks eyes with Seto, as if she recognizes him but can’t place him. It’s only a moment, so brief that Seto isn’t really sure he saw it at all. She’s as chatty as ever once they’re in the vehicle, happily answering every question they pose to her.

“So Sara, what made you want to study the Nameless Pharaoh?” Yuugi asks.

“Something about it just kinda called to me, I guess, and then Dr. Mutou’s research was the clincher. Like I said, it’s a transitional period, and more than that, it’s a puzzle. History’s all about solving puzzles. Anyway, you’ll be especially interested in this tomb, Dr. Mutou… because I think we’ve found the Nameless Pharaoh’s tomb.”

“What? But I found the Pharaoh’s tomb decades ago!”

“I’ve been doing a lot of research, and I think what you found was actually a decoy tomb, something built to keep people away from the real one where his body was kept.”

“Then why was the Millennium Puzzle in it?”

“The what?”

Yuugi cuts in, “Uh, Grandpa, maybe we better start from the beginning…”

It’s a long story, one Seto only half listens to because he already knows it, just letting Yuugi (and occasionally his grandpa and Mokuba) have fun telling it. He just hopes Sara doesn’t get too startled that she drives them off the road. He does, however, notice that some things get left out of the tale.

“So lemme see if I got this right… Yuugi put together a puzzle that contained the soul of the Nameless Pharaoh… who couldn’t remember he was a pharaoh or even his own name until, like, a few days ago, and he just… lived in your head?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“And you helped him remember his name, thus allowing him to move on to the afterlife? But you had to fight him first?”

“Well, it was more of a duel, but yes.”

“Damn, that’s pretty cool. I’ve just been calling him ‘Hudjefa’ all this time,” she says, “It means ‘missing’ or ‘erased’, and it’s better than just Nameless Pharaoh. That always felt wrong to me because he _did_ have a name. He _wasn’t_ nameless. His name just- just got lost somewhere.”

“Tell us about this new tomb, Miss Keyes,” Dr. Mutou says.

“I would, but I don’t wanna give too much away. It’ll ruin the surprise… Y’know, Yuugi and Seto, you both look super familiar.”

Mokuba speaks up, “Of course they do! They’re only the two most famous Duelists in the whole world! They’re Duel Monsters champions!”

“Hmm… I haven’t been keeping up with the Duel Monsters tournament scene lately. Had too much on my mind with my field work and everything.”

They then delve into idle talk about Duel Monsters. _I wonder… does she recognize me? Has she seen visions of the past, too?_ That’s absurd, of course. Seto still isn’t convinced he’s _not_ in the middle of some weird fever dream. Time travel isn’t real. There’s no way his _soul_ could’ve gone back in time and seen an ancient version of himself.

“Here we are! A recently discovered tomb from sometime near the end of the 18th Dynasty, almost three thousand years ago.”

It doesn’t look like anything special, just a hole in the desert… but something itches under Seto’s skin. He’s almost uncomfortable, like he should be wary. The tug on his coat actually startles him, but it’s just Mokuba again, staring up with his big eyes, quietly asking, “Nii-sama? Are you okay? You seem-… I dunno, you seem nervous.”

“I’m fine, Mokuba.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. C’mon, let’s see the tomb so we can go.”

With every step he takes into the tomb, his anxiety ratchets up a little higher. _Why? There’s nothing in here that’s dangerous._ Yuugi and Dr. Mutou aren’t scared, and neither is Mokuba. Sara certainly isn’t. She’s all excitement, practically floating down the small corridor and stairs. Seto just tries to settle his breathing.

There’s no reason for him to feel this way. _Unless…_ He still isn’t sure how to process everything he’s seen and everything that’s happened. He’d never believed all this talk of destiny and fate coming from the Pharaoh and Isis and Yuugi. What could they possibly know? _Well, apparently they knew enough._ And he’ll never tell anyone, but he’s willing to believe in a bit of magic after the events of the last twenty-four hours. It’s a lot to process.

“Alright, you guys are gonna be the first people outside the research team in over three thousand years to see the inside of this tomb,” Sara tells them, grinning widely.

She pulls aside a sheet covering the doorway, and even Seto gasps. The walls are still covered in colorful art, untouched by time. Enormous figures surrounded by hieroglyphics dominate the walls with elaborate sarcophagi placed beneath them.

“Dr. Mutou, I’m sure you see why I said the tomb you found was a decoy.”

_Hell, even I can see it._ One of the figures is _their_ Pharaoh, just a bit off center but still prominent.

“Yes, Sara, I see it, but I don’t believe it. Why would someone build a false tomb?”

“You know that as well as I do,” she replies, “To prevent graverobbing. I mean, how did you find the first tomb? Because you were looking for something, and someone knew something of value was inside.”

“The Puzzle…”

Yuugi is transfixed by the image of the now-gone Pharaoh, and Seto feels a stab of sympathy for him. What must Yuugi be feeling? He and the Pharaoh shared a body and a mind for years. They were friends, brothers, part of each other. Inseparable… until they weren’t. Even from where he stands, Seto can see the tears in Yuugi’s eyes.

“This tomb also has the original Tablet of Lost Memories,” Sara goes on, gesturing behind them, “though that may not be the best name.”

“Really? Why not?”

“These weren’t necessarily _lost_ memories. Certainly the people who knew the Pharaoh remembered him. The tablet itself would have been named by Pharaoh Set or someone else in that period. I hold that the Tablet of Lost Memories previously discovered is actually a period copy of this one, making this the original.”

Seto doesn’t know how she knows that, but then he isn’t an archaeologist. Looking at all the hieroglyphs, he doesn’t even know how to begin translating something this large. He’d briefly tried to learn it when he was trying to obtain the Winged Dragon of Ra, but it had been far too complicated and he’d has other things on his mind. (There’s also the whole ‘suddenly being able to read hieroglyphs’ thing, but he can’t read them anymore.) In any case, this one looks better than the one he’s familiar with. It’s still fully intact and vividly colored, the Dragon and Magician beautifully rendered. Mokuba is practically vibrating with excitement. 

“See, this one isn’t _quite_ identical to the one on display in the museum here. Many of the elements are. The dragon and magician are identical, as are the three God-Beasts around the wadjet pyramid above Set and Hudjefa.”

“The cards next to them are the same too!” Mokuba interjects, “See, Set has Monster Reborn and Battle-Ox, and the Pharaoh has Swords of Revealing Light and Gaia the Fierce Knight!”

“Huh, you’re right. I never realized those were meant to be Duel Monsters. I guess I really have been away from the game for a while,” Sara says, shrugs, “Anyway, I’m presuming they used some kind of magic to summon these creatures, but I’m getting distracted from the good stuff. What’s _really_ interesting is what’s different.”

“Well, what’s different?” Yuugi asks.

“I’m glad you asked, Yuugi. In this tablet, we actually see both men depicted as pharaohs. They’re dressed almost identically. We see the kilt, they hold staves in their free hands indicative of kingship, and we see Set wearing the crown with the uraeus or snakehead. Hudjefa still wears the same crown and the pyramid we see in the other version. We also see them both with their left legs forward in deference to each other.

“This tablet is also larger. The large winged scarab still dominates the top portion, but we have room for an inscription now, one that tells us the purpose of the image. It reads, roughly, ‘This tablet is sacred to the memory of friendship between two kings,’ an inscription not found on the other. At the bottom, beneath each pharaoh, we have cartouches containing their nomen, or birth name, so one contains the name ‘Set’ and the other is blank. Further up, next to each pharaoh, we now see cartouches with their prenomen, their coronation name.”

“So… you’ve found the Pharaoh’s name?” Yuugi asks.

“Yep, sure have!” she replies gleefully, “Of course, archaeology is tricky, and sometimes we just can’t find both names. There’s a few pharaohs out there where we only have one name or the other. In the earliest dynastic periods, sometimes we can’t even decipher the hieroglyphs, so we get names like ‘Scorpion’ and ‘Horus Bird’ and stuff like that. However, I also have a dilemma.”

“Dilemma?”

“Why did Set not erase the _image_ of Hudjefa as well? Usually, when a name is erased, it’s because the previous pharaoh did something bad, or at least something the next pharaoh didn’t like. Pharaoh Hatshepsut, for example, was almost erased from history completely by her successor because he was jealous of all she’d done. So normally I would assume Set didn’t like something done by Hudjefa… but this tablet is a tribute to their friendship and- oh, Jesus, I’m an idiot!”

She punctuates her statement with a loud facepalm, then gestures to the tablet, half-yelling, “This _is_ a copy! A funerary copy! Set had this one specially created for this tomb, the tomb he was gonna be buried in!”

He feels that tightness in his chest again, the discomfort returning full force. _Of course I hate this place, I’m buried in- Dammit!_ Yuugi’s infected his thoughts. That man in Ancient Egypt only _looked_ like him. He wasn’t him or another version of him, none of that. He hears Dr. Mutou murmur, “This is a pharaoh’s tomb?”

“A tomb?!”

_Oh great…_ Jonouchi’s voice is unmistakeable as Isis enters with everyone else. Sara lights up when she enters the tomb.

“You made it!” she says excitedly.

“Of course. You know I’m always interested in your research, Sara. What have you found?” Isis says, smiling.

“The tomb of Pharaoh Set! The one in the tablet with Hudjefa! There’s also a funerary copy of the Tablet of Lost Memories, and there are other burials! Look!”

For the first time, Seto looks around the room and pays attention to the images on the other tablets. He hears some of the others gasp.

“There are nine sarcophagi in all. Pharaoh Set is the most prominent, directly across from the entrance,” Sara explains, her voice echoing in the chamber, “To his left and to the west, we find Hudjefa, then a court magician or priest named Mahad, another magician or priestess named Mana, and a woman named only as ‘she who loves the light’. To his right, we find a priestess named Neferiset, and three priests named Shimon, Karim, and Shada.

“The sarcophagi are all very elaborate, and each has a tablet dedicated to them that details their life and deeds. Set’s tablet lists them as his loved ones. Now what’s curious is that almost everyone died _decades_ before Set. He had a relatively long life and reign for the time period, living to the age of sixty-six and reigning for forty-seven years. We also know his reign was very prosperous and peaceful.”

“Hey Sara, does it say how everyone died?” Anzu asks hesitantly.

“A great battle of some kind. It’s only referred to as ‘The Great Battle Against Evil’ which could mean anything, really. No enemy combatant is actually named.”

“You said something earlier about names,” Yuugi pipes up.

“Oh! Yes, of course! So, on Pharaoh Set’s tablet we get lots of epithets, most of them commonly used among pharaohs, but we can figure out which is his prenomen, or the name he took when he became king. Remember the cartouche here? The symbols here represent the name ‘mr-i-t-tm’, which is commonly pronounced together as ‘Meryatem’. Then at Hudjefa’s tablet, we have a cartouche with the name ‘pHr-nkh-htp’ or ‘Peherankhotep’, Some of the others have epithets as well. Neferiset is ‘the Beauty of Isis’ and then of course there’s the woman called Mereseshep, ‘she who loves the light’.”

“What about the Pharaoh? Jonouchi asks, “Per- uh… Peera-“

“Peherankhotep,” she supplies.

“Yeah! What does his name mean?”

“It means ‘at his end, there is life and peace’. It’s a very nice name. Probably indicative of his death in the Great Battle, maybe at the end. Could relate to the Egyptian afterlife as well. Now, we also have Meryatem, which means-“

Everyone jumps as Jonouchi and Honda shriek and grab each other, and Seto snaps, “What the hell is wrong with you knuckleheads?”

They whine, “I thought I saw a ghost! Something moved!”

“Really, guys? Everything we’ve been through, and you’re afraid of ghosts?” Anzu says.

“We all think of ghosts the first time we step into a tomb,” Sara says, smiling, “and in a way, I suppose there are ghosts with us. I know I can almost feel them, like they’ll walk in any minute and speak with me. It’s nice.”

“Hmm, it’s a real party in here.”

Seto is honestly impressed with how quickly Sara’s attitude becomes icy. A young man joins them in the tomb, with sandy brown hair and honey brown eyes and a smile that’s too perfect. He seems to be trying too hard to be friendly. Seto doesn’t like him.

“Hello, Phil. Don’t you have your own research to conduct?” she asks.

“Obviously, but can’t I drop in on a colleague’s research and see how it’s going?”

“You _could_ , if that’s _all_ you were here to do.”

“You’re so distrustful of me, Sara.”

“Of course I am. You’ve given me so many reasons to distrust you.”

_I’d be very interested to hear about_ this _history._

“Tell me, Sara,” he says, his smile straying into sneering territory, “How’s your funding situation look?”

Her whole body tenses. It’s clear that money is a touchy subject.

“You know damn well what it’s like. I don’t need you in here harassing me-“

“Who’s harassing? I’m just checking in and offering assistance-“

“Well, I don’t want _your_ assistance, Phil. I want you to stay away from my research!”

Sara’s voice rings in the small space. Phil doesn’t seem bothered, simply turning and leaving, still wearing that irritating half-sneer. An awkward, tense silence falls over the group, everyone carefully eyeing Sara, afraid to speak until Jonouchi breaks the quiet with, “Well, that guy seems like a real jerk.”

“He is. Philip Biddle. His family is super rich and even worse, they’re board members at our university, the University of Pennsylvania, and- ugh! He’s so insufferable!”

“Sounds to me like you two have a history together,” Otogi says.

“It’s nothing good,” she replies, “We’ve been all through undergrad and grad school together, and now I’m stuck with him here, too. We hate each other.”

Bakura says, “Really? He didn’t seem like he hates you.”

“I almost got him kicked out of our undergrad program for plagiarizing my work. The only reason he stayed in was because of mommy and daddy’s money, and the only reason they didn’t try to kick me out is because my grades were too good so it would look suspicious. Now though, he’s got enough money from the school to stay and work for a couple of years yet, and I’ve only been here six months and my money’s practically gone.”

“It sounded like he wanted to help-“

“Phil doesn’t want to help out of the goodness of his heart. He just wants to be able to piggyback off my research ‘cause he’s stupid. Can’t read a hieroglyph to save his life. If he can convince me to let him join me in my research, then he gets an easy pass, and I will _die_ before I let him get an easy pass!”

She’s shouting again at the end of it. _Can’t say I don’t respect her passion._ There’s a little tug at his sleeve, and he just knows it’s Mokuba, his eyes pleading. Mokuba doesn’t wait for him to speak before whispering, “Nii-sama, couldn’t we help her?”

Seto still doesn’t answer. Of course they _could_ help. KaibaCorp is worth billions of dollars. Sara is talking to Isis now, while the geek squad are all in their own conversations. Not invited into either group, Seto turns, looking at the tablet of Mereseshep. _Kisara… her name was Kisara…_ The image on the tablet doesn’t match his view of her from the past. The Kisara he saw wore little more than rags. This woman is regally adorned, wearing a lovely gown with rich colors and extravagant jewelry. If he didn’t know, he wouldn’t be able to say they were the same woman. _But I do know… I know her._ Further up, he sees Atem, the pharaoh he’d been rivals with before he even knew he was a pharaoh.

Atem’s image is also full of beautiful color, from his hair to his clothing to his jewelry. Yuugi has his back to the image, has barely looked at it the entire time they’ve been here. Peherankhotep. Seto wants to say it aloud, to hear it, to feel the weight of it on his tongue. It’s a name Atem never chose for himself, that someone else chose for him after he was gone. Priest Set likely chose it, that other version of him.

“It’s getting late,” Isis says, “We should leave for the evening and return tomorrow. I would be happy to find you all a place to stay for the duration of your visit.”

Seto wants to protest. He should. He needs to return to his company and take Mokuba away from all this nonsense. But he says nothing, allowing Yuugi to heartily agree for all of them.

“There are open rooms in our university housing. The rooms are very nice, just a bit small,” Isis explains, “And you’ll have to group up.”

“Anzu, you can stay with me, if you want,” Sara offers.

“Grandpa needs his own room,” Yuugi teases, “He snores too loud.”

“I do no such thing!”

Everyone starts chattering about how to split up and moves to the doorway.

“Sara,” Seto calls, “you never finished. What’s the meaning of ‘Meryatem’?”

“Oh yeah… ‘Meryatem’ is an easy one. It means ‘beloved of Atem’.”


	2. Chapter 2

Seto does his best not to react, but he’s had a near-lifetime of pretending not to be shocked. Everyone else has not, and there is clear surprise in all their faces. Sara, thankfully, doesn’t seem to notice, far too enthralled with more closely examining the engraving. 

“Wha- What did you say that name means again?” Anzu asks.

“Meryatem means ‘beloved of Atem’,” she repeats blithely, turns, sees all their faces, says, “Don’t look so shocked, everyone. I mean, it’s not a common pharaonic prenomen, but it’s a name we can locate in the historical record. It was mostly used by high priests, but it _does_ make sense for a pharaoh.”

“It does?”

“Yep. Atem was a creator god, after all, and he was often linked to the pharaohs as specifically creating them or assisting them into the afterlife… Anyway, c’mon, we should get you all settled in and then get dinner! Let’s go!”

Bakura walks with her, one of the few among them actually versed in archaeology, Dr. Mutou close behind. Seto falls in behind the rest of the group.

“I don’t see why you all freaked out,” Otogi says, “What’s the big deal?”

“Don’t you remember?” Anzu replies, “The Pharaoh’s name is Atem.”

“So?”

“We’ll explain everything later, Otogi,” Honda says.

“I sure hope so…”

Seto frowns. What’s there to explain? His counterpart (and he _is_ loathe to use that phrase) was Atem’s successor. He can think of plenty of reasons he would choose the name Meryatem: political reasons, religious reasons, diplomatic reasons. All of them are perfectly logical considering his relationship to the Pharaoh as his cousin and successor. _It makes perfect sense to me._ His chest still feels too tight, but he pushes any concern aside.

“Nii-sama, can we share a room?” Mokuba tugs at his sleeve, “It would be just like old times!”

“Of course, Mokuba,” he replies without hesitation, “Just like old times.”

He almost smiles at Mokuba’s squeal of joy. (Maybe he smiles a little.) This is for his little brother, always for his little brother. If it makes Mokuba happy, then it makes Seto happy too.

* * *

“Alright, fellas,” Jonouchi says solemnly, “We gotta decide somethin’ real important right now… Which poor bastard has to room with Kaiba?”

“It doesn’t have to be an argument,” Yuugi says, “I’ll room with Kaiba and Mokuba.”

“You sure, Yuugi?” Honda asks, “We could draw straws or something, make it fair.”

“I’m sure. I think I’m the one person here the least annoyed by Kaiba, and the one who annoys Kaiba the least. It makes sense. I actually kind of like Kaiba, and I _do_ like Mokuba.”

“Hey, real quick… does Sara look familiar to you guys?” Jonouchi asks, “I feel like I’ve seen her before but I can’t figure out where.”

“Oh, I know! She looks like that girl from the Pharaoh’s memories!” Anzu replies.

“Yeah! The one who was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” Honda says, “The one we saw getting attacked by that mob-“

“-and we couldn’t help ‘cause we were all ghosty!”

Yuugi speaks up, “Wasn’t it Priest Set who saved her? He really seemed to care about her.”

Jonouchi snorts, “Yeah well, look at how much Kaiba cares about his Blue-Eyes- ooh, do ya think he has a crush on her?”

“Who’s got a crush on who?”

“Kaiba! Do ya think he has a crush on Sara?”

It’s a good question. Any other time Yuugi would take the time to really think about it, but he can’t really find the energy to care right now. He’s tired and sad and a little angry, and it’s hard to focus on anything except the fact that Atem is gone. They were part of each other for so long, were one mind and one body and almost one soul. Watching Atem leave was one of the hardest things Yuugi had ever done. _And there was his tomb…_ Tears well up in his eyes again, and he does his best to force them away. He just needs a good night’s sleep. As bad as it sounds, he wants to room with the Kaibas because they won’t keep him awake.

“Yuugi? Are you alright?”

Bakura’s voice is even softer than usual. _He’ll understand._

“Just-… I miss him, Ryou,” Yuugi tells him quietly, “…a lot.”

“I suppose I sort of know how you feel. I can’t _really_ say I miss the Ring Spirit… but I got used to having him there in a- a messed up sort of way. Obviously, he was a bad person. Maybe he was bad for the right reasons. I mean, I would probably want revenge if my family and village were murdered. I don’t know… Perhaps he was part of me for so long, I’m able to see his point of view.”

“But do you _miss_ him?”

“Again, in a messed up sort of way, yes, I think I do. Mostly I miss the idea of him being part of me, but I don’t know if I miss _him_ ,” Bakura replies thoughtfully, “Does that make sense at all?”

“It does. Thank you, Bakura, for talking with me. I appreciate it.”

“Of course, Yuugi. Any time. You know, we’re all here for you.”

Before he can reply, Anzu calls out, “C’mon, slowpokes! We’re gonna leave you!” and they break into a jog to catch up to the group. Once they arrive at the housing building, they discover Isis has located their luggage and had it brought over for them, so it’s quickly divvied up to its rightful owners. While everyone is cheerfully looking through their bags, Jonouchi steps closer to Yuugi and whispers, “You sure you wanna bunk with the Kaibas? I don’t mind doin’ it. None of us do.”

“It’s fine, Jonouchi-kun.”

“I’m-… We’re just- just kinda worried about ya, is all.”

Yuugi finally looks up at his friend, sees the clear concern in his expression, replies, “Thank you, Jonouchi. I appreciate it. I am fine, though. I mean, I’m sad. I’m upset… but that’s to be expected. I think some sleep will help me, and no offense, but I’ll probably sleep better without hearing Honda arguing with Otogi and Bakura trying to scare you with ghost stories.”

That makes Jonouchi crack a smile and say, “Yeah, you probably will sleep better there. Besides, Honda snores.”

“So do you, Jonouchi!”

“I do not! At least, not as bad as Honda!”

“Hey, what’s not as bad as Honda?”

The argument kicks off, one so normal that Yuugi can’t help but laugh as everyone splits off to go to their rooms. _But my point is proven._ He’d worried Jonouchi and Honda might be upset with him for not wanting to bunk with them, but it made the most sense. In addition to being the only one who can tolerate Kaiba, he’s fairly certain he’s the only one Kaiba would tolerate being in there.

“Hey, Yuugi! You’re really bunking with us?” Mokuba asks cheerfully.

“Yup! But don’t worry. I’m gonna be nice and quiet. I’m really tired.”

“That means you need to be quiet too, Mokuba,” Kaiba speaks up, “It’s been a while since we’ve shared a room, but you should remember the rules. Your phone or game or whatever should be kept quiet, too.”

“I know, Seto.”

“I know you do. Come on, I think Miss Keyes mentioned dinner.”

“You two should go without me-“

“Absolutely not, Yuugi,” Kaiba says firmly, “If Mokuba and I show up without you, your little nerd herd will think I killed you. Just show up, have a few bites, and then we can come back up.”

Yuugi finds the ‘we’ interesting but says nothing. _Of course, Kaiba doesn’t want to go down, either._ Thankfully, everyone is tired at this point, so dinner is a quick affair before they all return to their rooms. The Kaibas allow Yuugi to get ready in the bathroom first, there being only one of him and Mokuba already putting up a fuss about going to bed. Yuugi’s only in the bathroom for about twenty minutes, taking a quick shower and brushing his teeth, but when he returns, Mokuba is already asleep. Kaiba is looking at his phone, his little brother curled up beside him.

“I guess he was tired, after all,” Yuugi comments.

“He’s always like this,” Kaiba replies, “Always has been, ever since we were kids… makes a big fuss then wears himself out right away. You all done in there?”

“Mhm. All yours.”

Kaiba puts down his phone and gently wakes Mokuba, ushering him into the bathroom. Yuugi takes the time to settle into bed, unconsciously reaching for the Puzzle he no longer wears. Tears spring to his eyes again, as they have so many times today. _I miss him so much._ He stifles a sob, not wanting the Kaibas to hear him. _I really, really miss him._

* * *

Seto quietly ushers Mokuba back into the room, reminding him Yuugi is already asleep. Thankfully, Mokuba is too tired to do anything but let Seto heft him into the top bunk and immediately fall asleep. Seto isn’t tired yet, though. He has work to do. There are meetings to cancel or reschedule, projects to postpone, travel to coordinate… and he needs to do some research on this Philip Biddle. _There’s got to be something I can dig up on him to help Sara._ Contrary to popular belief, Seto isn’t entirely heartless. He can still remember what it’s like to struggle, to worry about survival and what the future would bring. _I remember-_

A noise causes him to look up: a muffled sob, quiet sniffling. He sighs. It sounds like one of Mokuba’s nightmares, so he starts to get out of bed to comfort his brother when it hits him. The sound is coming from the other bunk. Mokuba isn’t the one crying. Yuugi is. That stops Seto in his tracks. He doesn’t know how to comfort Yuugi or even if he should. They’re not friends. They’re not close. He hears another muffled sob, feels something soften in his chest, but he still doesn’t move. It’s one thing to embarrass Yuugi in Duel Monsters. It’s very much another thing to embarrass him over his grief. (Which isn’t his intention. He just assumes Yuugi would be embarrassed to let Kaiba see his grief.) Seto Kaiba is not heartless, not completely.

He makes the decision to go to sleep and pretend he never heard anything, hoping that preserving Yuugi’s pride is the right thing to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for this one kind of being filler i promise things pick up after this lol


	3. Chapter 3

“Where’s Sara?” Yuugi asks, entering the small common room.

The gang is all there, already started in on breakfast. Anzu speaks up, “She went out to the tomb already, said she has a lot of work to do. She told us to come join her when we’re ready.”

Yuugi feels his stomach roll faintly. _I don’t know if I wanna go back to the tomb._ Ever since he stepped foot in that tomb, he’s felt uneasy, probably because the person who’d been part of him for long is buried there. It’s one thing for Atem to be gone, but it’s something else entirely to be confronted with the stark reality that he’s dead. He quickly swallows another round of tears. _I think Kaiba heard me last night, when I was trying not to cry._ That was embarrassing enough. He doesn’t want to cry here in front of everyone, especially when they seem to be handling it so well.

“You okay, Yuugi?” Anzu asks.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” he replies, forcing cheer into his voice, hoping no one notices.

It seems to work, even if Anzu looks a little suspicious. Jonouchi and Honda descend on him, plying him with food and trying to make him feel better with silly arguments. They do lift Yuugi’s spirits a bit, even making him laugh. For a moment, Yuugi is able to push his thoughts of Atem aside and focus on the present.

“I’m excited to visit the tomb again,” Bakura says brightly, “I feel like we didn’t get a close enough look the first time, it was so overwhelming. I can’t imagine the kinds of artifacts to be found in there! A royal tomb that was never looted! I can’t wait!”

“I just better not see a ghost in there.”

“Jonouchi, ghosts aren’t real.”

“Really? All the freaky shit we been through, and _ghosts_ is where you draw the line, Bakura?”

_Ghosts._ Hope floods Yuugi’s chest. Maybe Atem is a ghost. Maybe he’s there. Maybe Yuugi can talk to him one last time. The idea of visiting the tomb seems a lot less frightening now.

“Bakura’s right. This is really exciting, and we’re really lucky to be here in the middle of it,” Yuugi finally says, “We should take advantage of this opportunity. It’s-“

“Yuugi, if you say this was fate or destiny or whatever, I’m going to throw up.”

It’s a very Kaiba response. _Maybe he didn’t hear me last night._ The idea makes him feel a little better, and he replies, “Fine... you were such a good roommate that I’ll spare you.”

Bakura speaks up, “Are you coming to the tomb with us, Kaiba?”

They all wait for the inevitable ‘no’ and for Kaiba to state that he has far more important things to do.

“Yes. I’m quite interested in Miss Keyes’ research. I’d like to see how she’s progressing.”

It a takes a moment for them all to reboot while Kaiba and Mokuba get their breakfast. Bakura is the only one who’s unfazed, clapping his hands together with, “That’s wonderful! I was just telling everyone...”

He sits with the Kaibas and goes off on a tangent that, amazingly, Kaiba patiently listens to. _Another surprise from Kaiba._ Otogi leans in, whispers, “Is it just me, or is Kaiba being weird?”

“Oh, he’s being weird alright,” Honda says, “Wish we knew why.”

Yuugi has an idea bouncing around in his brain, but it’s too absurd to even consider. There’s no way Kaiba could _actually_ be grieving for Atem... is there?

* * *

Thankfully, Bakura moves on to babble to someone else as they walk over to the tomb. Seto needs the time to think. He needs to know more: about Meryatem, about Peherankhotep, about Mereseshep, all of it. Why does he look like Meryatem? Why does Yuugi look like Atem? Why had he been dragged into all of this? 

“There you guys are!”

Sara greets them at the entrance, grinning widely, her long white hair in two braids today. Isis stands beside her, looking ridiculously normal in practical work clothes.

“I’m so glad you all could make it,” Sara says, “Isis and I have been hard at it for a couple hours now. Our colleague , Raniya, has been working with her team on artifacts and objects while Isis and I worked on the hieroglyphs.”

“We’ve made a great deal of progress,” Isis adds, “Please, come with us.”

The journey into the tomb is no less crushing this time, the tunnel seeming to press in on Seto. He takes a couple deep breaths to calm his heartbeat. _Nothing is going to happen._ Mokuba is chatting excitedly with Bakura and Dr. Mutou. Yuugi is flanked by Anzu and Jonouchi, while Honda and Otogi bicker good-naturedly. No one else seems worried, and that pushes Seto to calm further.

“We focused on the two pharaohs to begin,” Isis explains, “and from there we’ll spread out to the others.”

Inside the tomb, an older woman shouts to some workers, her hair covered with a richly patterned hijab. Isis quickly speaks with her, and the woman looks up, saying, “Ah, salaam alaikum.”

Sara replies, “Wa alaykum as-salaam _._ Raniya, these are our friends from Japan.”

“Hello, everyone. Are you enjoying Egypt?”

“Oh yes, it’s wonderful!” Bakura says, and Honda adds, “Yeah, I cant believe we get to be here. It’s awesome!”

“What are you working on, Raniya?” Anzu asks.

“I am uncovering and cataloguing all the artifacts in the tomb, like burial tokens, canopic jars, and even the big steles here. We must keep track of everything we find here, even shards of broken pottery...”

Seto tunes Raniya out. He knows what museum cataloguing is. After all, KaibaCorp is the single largest donor to the Domino Museum, and as the CEO, he’s been on too many behind-the-scenes tours and events to count. Instead, he’s still transfixed by the stele Sara said belonged to a woman named Mereseshep. _But that wasn’t her name._ He knows that the woman’s name was Kisara. He knows how she died and why and where. He knows that she was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. He _knows_ this, and he wishes he didn’t because he doesn’t know how to explain this unless he chooses to believe Isis and Yuugi and all their talk of magic. _I refuse to do that.. but then.. how do I know?_ Something twists in his chest, almost painful enough to make him wince.

He looks at Kisara again, the image Pharaoh Set made of her after her death. It’s a beautiful image, her white hair long and flowing, her gown vivid blue, a large and extravagant collar draped around her neck. _She looks like a queen._ He feels that painful twisting again, something burning deep inside him, something too much like guilt. He doesn’t like this, not one bit.

Coming back to his surroundings, he looks back to the group, now handling some artifacts with Raniya, Mokuba excitedly cradling a pottery shard in his hands. The sight eases the ache in Seto’s chest a bit. Strangely, it also makes him happy to see everyone smiling. He’d thought the loss of the Pharaoh would cast a heavier pall over the group, but they all seem cheerful. _Though Yuugi was crying last night..._

“Alright, y’all, Raniya needs to get back to work,” Sara says, “There’s lots of artifacts here and she doesn’t need our help.”

“I can always use unpaid interns, Sara.”

“That isn’t fair to the interns and you know it... Besides, they don’t wanna spend all day down here. I wanted to give you all an update on our translations, and then I think Malik and Rishid were going to show you around the area. Come with us, y'all...”

The group steps closer to Meryatem’s stele, Sara and Isis flanking it. Isis speaks first, saying, “The tablet of Meryatem has basic information, mostly biographical. He is noted as the son of Akhenaden and Bekhetnephthys and that they were split up when he was a child. It speaks of his childhood and humble beginnings in his studies, but otherwise we have no new information on his reign.”

“The biographical information is nice, though,” Sara adds, “We now know he’s the son of Akhenaden, who was brother to Akhenamkhanen, Peherankhotep’s father, so this does link him to the royal line. It also makes him Peherankhotep’s cousin.”

“The stele of Peherankhotep has some even more compelling information.”

“Yeah, this stele and all the others describe the relationships between Meryatem and the person being memorialized. Peherankhotep’s is particularly heartfelt. It’s kinda sweet, actually.”

Everyone shares a look Sara doesn’t see, likely related to the idea of someone like Seto being ‘heartfelt’ or ‘sweet’. Bakura finally asks, “What does it say about the Pharaoh, Sara?”

“We’re still parsing through a lot of it,” she replies, “but most of it so far sounds kind of… regretful? There’s a passage here stating, ‘My heart is filled with grief at your passing.’ Umm… here he states a desire to have better known his cousin through life, that they could have been closer. ‘I wish we may have known each other as children and together have grown into men.’ That’s sweet. Another good part here… ‘Beloved cousin, I long for our reunion in Sekhet-Aaru, for there we will be a family again.’ Very Egyptian… uh, Sekhet-Aaru, is the Field of Reeds, like their afterlife. He continues to describe Peherankhotep as fair and just, a good leader, saying his time was cut short as a result of this great battle. All good things.”

Still focused on her work, Sara is unaware of the effect her words have on the group. Yuugi and Anzu look ready to cry again, and everyone else wears an expression that’s a strange mix between sad and uncomfortable. Seto certainly doesn’t know what to feel. He’d seen part of the end, saw the Pharaoh hand over power to Set at the end of his memories. He can only imagine how much more traumatic the concession of power must have been in real time. The priest had been reluctant when the transfer was calm.

“Malik and Rishid are outside now if you all would like to explore the area,” Isis tells them, “I believe they have much to show you.”

Only then does Sara look at the group, and her expression changes to confusion. _Hopefully Isis can explain everything better than we can._ Seto allows Mokuba to grab his hand and lead back out into the bright sunlight.

* * *

Within the tomb, The Nine watch silently, curiously, wondering what will happen next. These are the first ones to locate their tomb, and so far they’ve been respectful.

"The one girl looks like you, Kisara. She could be your twin."

"I suppose she does, Set. There’s also the boy who looks like you, and the boy who looks like Atem, and the girl who looks like Isis…"

"I think I see your point, Kisara. Perhaps they were destined to be here."

"Of that I am certain. Destiny has been leading them here all along."

"Do you think so, Atem?"

"Yes… Yes, I do, Set."

The Girl Who Looks Like Kisara blinks and looks around, then speaks to She Who Looks Like Isis with concern in her voice. The Nine simply watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you'd like more info on my take on the relationship between Set and Atem, check out my fic "We Must Choose (Our Own Ending)". It's a really sad one so please read all the notes on it, but it might give some extra background for you!


	4. Chapter 4

“You get any sleep, Anzu? You look tired,” Jonouchi says at breakfast.

“I’m afraid it’s my fault,” Sara says, “I work pretty late into the night, and usually I’m alone, and if I’m not, I’m with another student who’s also working late.”

“Oh, it’s not your fault, Sara. Don’t worry. It was just one of those nights.”

“As long as it wasn’t my fault. I do an awful lot of grumbling at my research when I’m hitting a roadblock.”

“You seem to be making fine progress to me,” Dr. Mutou says.

“I _am_ making progress… but I _know_ there’s a piece missing. There’s something I don’t know, that I can’t find, and it’s bothering me. Just wish I knew what it was.”

“Don’t worry, Sara,” Yuugi speaks up, “I know you’ll find what you’re looking for.”

“Thanks, Yuugi. Oh, y’all need to get ready! You’re going to one of my absolute favorite sites today. It’s called Karnak. It’s an absolutely enormous temple complex close to Luxor, and I just know you’re all gonna love it. Malik and Rishid are real excited to take you there.”

“I can’t go,” Kaiba says, “I have a lot of work to do.”

“Work? You’re on vacation!” Sara tells him, “Y’know, some people would kill for this experience! Work later and make memories with your friends now.”

“They’re not my friends.”

“Then why are you here?”

Kaiba clearly doesn’t enjoy hanging out with everyone, but who travels all the way to Egypt from Japan with people they hate? Sara’s no psychologist, of course, but she senses a kind of begrudging friendship between Kaiba and the others. _He’s their friend, he just doesn’t want to admit it._ Her words do get a small reaction from him, more annoyance than anything, so she continues, “Look, go to Karnak today, see the sights, and then tomorrow you can do all the work you want. I just don’t want any of you to leave with regrets or feeling like you didn’t get to see the cool stuff, y’know?”

“Well, if they want to see _cool_ stuff, they should see _my_ research.”

Her blood immediately begins to boil. _Dammit, Phil._ He saunters over, like he owns the place, a smug grin on his face. _Ooh, I hate him so much._

“Well, Phil, if your research was anything more than a hole in the ground, I would show it to them, but you haven’t made a single significant discovery in the two years that you’ve been here.”

“All in good time, Miss Keyes. All in good time… I don’t suppose you’ve given my latest proposition any thought?”

“I’ve given it the same amount of attention as all your propositions… which is none. Now if you’ll excuse my friends, they need to get ready for their excursion today,” she turns her attention to them, “Go ahead, guys. Have fun today, alright?”

They agree, though they all look wary of leaving her alone with Phil. _But I can handle him just fine on my own._ Everyone leaves, and once they’re all gone, Phil and Sara are alone in the small cafeteria. Phil slides into the chair across from her.

“Sara, Sara, Sara… what are you going to do?”

“I’ve been thinking an awful lot about murder lately. It’s not off the table.”

“You know what I mean. Your funding is _gone_ at the end of this week. I’m surprised you haven’t started packing yet. It’s a long trip home.”

“I haven’t lost hope, and besides, I’ve been smart with my money. I can probably last an extra couple months with some budgeting. Hopefully by then, my research will be strong enough to get enough funding to finish what I started.”

“You could easily get that funding if you were willing to cooperate with me.”

“And let _you_ piggyback off of _my_ hard work? No chance.”

“When you’re gone, that tomb will be wide open for someone else to work-“

“And you think Isis is gonna let you anywhere near that tomb? You’re dumber than I thought, and that’s saying something, Phil.”

He’s scowling now, a look that doesn’t frighten Sara in the least. She continues, “Besides, I will have all the original research with times and dates proving what’s mine. Even when I leave, I’ll still have all the most relevant research with me.”

“Then it would certainly be a shame if that research were to disappear now, wouldn’t it?”

“Are you actually threatening me right now?” Sara scoffs.

“Hardly,” he says with a smirk that _does_ frighten Sara, “I’m merely pointing out what a tragedy it would be. Y’know, all those kids hangin’ around… and that blonde one looks kind of delinquent. You’ve put so much trust in them, but they’re certainly capable of walking off with your research.”

“I see… Well, if one of them _does_ walk off with it, I think I’ll know where to look. I’ll just have to follow the money right back to you. Now, Philip, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve lost my appetite… and I’ve actually got _real_ work to do.”

“I was thinking of visiting Karnak today myself.”

He’s still smirking.

“Yes… I’m sure you were.”

She doesn’t tell him goodbye. Instead, she bounds up the stairs to her room.

“Oh, Anzu, you haven’t left yet! Perfect! Still have a minute?”

“Yeah, we aren’t meeting downstairs for another ten minutes.”

“Good. I have some things for you to take with you,” Sara tells her, “Here, this is a travel book I’ve been using since I’ve arrived in Egypt and especially Luxor. I’ve made a lot of notes, so it should come in handy. And I’m gonna write you a note with some extra information. It won’t take long…”

“We need to thank you, Sara. You’ve been so nice to us, so welcoming. We all really appreciate it,” Anzu says.

“Maybe I’m just hoping to inspire some Egyptologists and archaeologists. Don’t suppose you’d like to be one?”

“Not me. I’m gonna stick to dancing, I think.”

“It was worth a shot. Y’all have fun today, okay?” Sara says earnestly, handing over the book and extra notes.

“We will. Thanks again, Sara. I’ll be sure to return your book when we get back.”

Isis arrives as Anzu leaves, asking, “Sara? Are you ready to get to work on the other steles today?”

“Of course… Let’s look at Mereseshep today, huh? She’s interesting.”

* * *

Karnak is magnificent, and even though Ryou was here when he was a child, he’s still awed by the massive structure. It’s been made into an enormous open-air museum, all huge columns and amazing sculpture. It saw a great deal of history, from the Middle Kingdom to the change in religion brought by Akhenaten and well into the Ptolemaic period when Cleopatra reigned. Ryou knows he’s wandered away from the group, but they’re not as interested in the site as he is. _They’ll find me when they need me._

“Hey there!”

“Oh hello… It’s Philip, isn’t it?”

“Please, call me Phil… uh… sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know your name. I just recognize you as one of Sara’s new friends.”

“I’m Bakura Ryou.”

“Bakura, it’s a pleasure. Say, I’ve got a proposition for you…”

* * *

“Ugh, this is so confusing, Isis!”

“What’s confusing?”

“Mereseshep! The stele! Everything about these people is just- It’s so _weird_!” Sara says, finally airing all her frustrations, “Especially Peherankhotep’s stele. I _know_ I’m missing something. I _know_ it… and it’s so annoying!”

“You’ll figure it out, Sara.”

“I sure hope so.”

Sara walks back to the stele of Peherankhotep, just standing in front of it, gazing. _He looks so much like Yuugi… or does Yuugi look like him?_ Either way, he was little more than a boy when he died, ostensibly in some horrific battle. Everyone buried here, except for Meryatem and Mana, died in the battle, some older, most young, all likely trying to protect their pharaoh… and they couldn’t. She can feel the emotion welling up in her throat. He was loved. People wanted to protect and remember him.

Reaching out, she gently runs her fingers over the hieroglyphs. Maybe the information would just ooze into her fingertips and straight into her brain. It would be the most helpful thing- 

_What’s that?_ A little flash of light catches her eye, drawing her attention to the upper right corner of the stele. Sara grabs a ladder to get a better look, leans in, feels her jaw drop open.

“Everyone take a break!” she calls out, looks at her watch, “No- Just head home. I’ll make sure you’re all paid for the last couple of hours.”

“Sara?” Isis asks, approaching her, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. It’s perfect. Isis…this may be the greatest discovery of our lives.”

“Then why did you send everyone home? They could help.”

“Because I don’t want Phil finding out about it yet. I’m sure he coerced one of those poor girls into spying for him. It’s how he knows everything.”

“Well, I’m the only one here now. Talk to me. Tell me what you found.”

“I can’t believe we never noticed it… Look here in the upper right corner. There’s a figure looking down. Now, you and I both know how to read hieroglyphs, Isis.”

“Of course, you read toward a figure’s face,” Isis replies, “so if a figure is facing right, you read from the right toward their face, but what does that have to do with-“

The realization crashes over her, her jaw dropping open like Sara’s did.

“Yeah! There’s a secret code hidden in the stele text! I bet it tells us all about Peherankhotep! It might even have his name!”

“Let’s start decoding it right now-“

“No, not yet… Besides, Isis… you already know what happened, don’t you? You… and Malik and Rishid… and Yuugi and all his friends. You all know what happened to the pharaoh and how he died… even his true name.”

Sara can’t help but feel a wave of vicious jealousy. Isis at least has been studying Ancient Egypt as long as Sara has, probably longer, and Isis has been with Sara in this work since the beginning. It seems unfair that this random boy and his friends should stumble into this information Sara’s been searching years for. She jumps when Isis touches her shoulder, relaxes when she squeezes it gently.

“I could tell you everything,” Isis whispers, “if you wanted me to.”

For a moment, she does want it. She wants Isis to tell her everything so it’s easy. It would be _so_ nice if something were finally easy for her. _For once, I could take the easy way._

“Thank you, Isis… but that would feel too much like cheating, I think. I need to figure this out on my own,” Sara tells her.

“Then how can I help?”

“Tell me when I get it right. Oh, and I need some help with something else. I need, like, three copies of all the photographs we have of the Peherankhotep stele.”

“Three?”

“Yes, and when you get the copies, I need you to be as vocal as possible about the fact that we’ve made a significant discovery here, especially if you see Phil.”

“But- Sara, doesn’t he want to steal your research?”

“Oh, of course he does. He won’t be able to resist the bait, and I cannot _wait_ to watch him dig himself the world’s biggest hole.”

Isis still looks confused for a moment, but then she smirks, something wicked, and Sara’s heart flutters.

“You’ll need those photos right away, Sara.”

* * *

“…to thank you. KaibaCorp values education in all fields and-“

“Kaiba!”

Seto grits his teeth and holds up a finger, trying to silence his companions long enough to finish this business call.

“-and I expect this first donation to be used _exactly_ as stipulated in the contract faxed over to you. If so, you can expect to receive future donations from our company.”

“ _Of- Of course, Mr. Kaiba. You have our assurances we’ll follow the contract to the letter._ ”

“Wonderful. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other business to attend to.”

He bids the shaky voice on the other end of the line farewell and hangs up, finally looking back at Anzu’s withering glare.

“Kaiba, you’re not supposed to be working today!” she scolds him, “You’re supposed to be enjoying vacation with your friends!”

“This was time sensitive business. It had to be taken care of today.”

Anzu doesn’t seem to believe him, but it’s true. He adds, “Besides, I paid attention to the tour guide and learned quite a bit. I even let Mokuba take pictures of me.”

“Did you smile in any of them?”

“I’ll never tell.”

They stand next to each other for a moment, just looking at everyone else, watching them joke and laugh.

“Y’know, Kaiba,” Anzu finally says, her voice quiet and reflective, “emotion and weakness aren’t the same thing. I don’t care what Gozaburo tried to teach you. Showing your emotions isn’t weakness. You’re allowed to be happy or sad or whatever you feel, and you’re allowed to smile or laugh or cry… especially with us. We won’t judge you.”

Seto wants to laugh in her face and call her ridiculous, but deep down, he might actually believe her. Another few seconds of quiet pass between them, and Anzu speaks again, softer this time, “I bet Atem used to come here… maybe not all the time, but he was a pharaoh. He must’ve come here sometimes, don’t you think?”

Talking about the Pharaoh sets a painful twisting in Seto’s chest. His own voice is equally soft when he replies, “Yes… I’m sure he came here.”

“Hey! Why are you two bein’ so weird?” Jonouchi calls, “Come over here!”

Honda adds, “Yeah, Bakura found out some pretty cool stuff!”

“Tell me, Anzu… does Bakura ever shut up?” Seto asks teasingly.

“Sometimes… but he’s been through a lot, so it’s nice to see him happy. Come on, they’re waiting for us.”

Anzu jogs over, Seto following at a more sedate pace. He doesn’t want them to know he’s actually interested in what Bakura has to say, after all.


	5. Chapter 5

“Where’s Sara?” Yuugi asks, “She’s usually here before all of us.”

“She was up all night working on some big discovery,” Anzu replies, “She was still working on it when I woke up, whatever it is. Didn’t even respond when I asked if she was coming to breakfast.”

“I hope she’ll share it with us when she’s done,” Bakura says, and Otogi speaks up, “Yeah, it must be really important if she’s been up all night working on it.”

“Maybe it’s to do with the Pharaoh.”

“I sure hope so, Honda. She’s really desperate for information.”

“Did she find his name?”

“Maybe there’s more about the battle.”

“We’re not sure yet,” Isis finally says, “She hasn’t even spoken to me about her findings.”

“Because I hadn’t found anything yet. Now I have.”

Sara looks triumphant, if exhausted, her long white hair starting to break free of the already messy bun it was in. Seto watches her pile a tray with breakfast food and join them.

“Jesus, I’m hungry,” she continues, “Haven’t pulled an all-nighter like that in a while… Was definitely worth it, though. I’m gonna get more research funding in no time.”

“You won’t have to worry about that.”

She doesn’t look at Seto, still piling food into her mouth, saying, “Yeah, I know. This new discovery is gonna make sure I have research funding for years to come.”

“I’ve already made sure of that.”

Now, she looks up, clearly confused, and asks, “How?”

“Simple. I made a few phone calls, authorized donations, had a contract written up dictating how that donation was to be used-“

“Wha-? _How?_ You’re seventeen. How can _you_ afford my research grant?”

It’s Seto’s (and everyone else’s) turn to be confused.

“You-… You _really_ don’t know who I am?”

“Should I?”

“Kaiba? _Seto_ Kaiba? As in KaibaCorp?” Otogi jumps in, “Did you really not know?”

She shakes her head, her eyes wide. Seto continues, “Anyway, it was easy enough. The contract lays out clear stipulations for the use of KaibaCorp’s generous donation and the consequences if those demands-“

He hears the slap before he feels it, the sharp smack ringing in his ears before he feels the sting in his cheek. Sara is on her feet, angry tears shining in her eyes, her whole body shaking. Her voice shakes, too.

“When I want help from- from- from spoiled little rich boys, I’ll ask for it!”

And just like that, she’s storming out of the room, leaving stunned silence in her wake, until-

“Kaiba, you’re so _stupid_!” Anzu shouts, “Why didn’t you ask her first?”

“People are usually happy when they’re gifted tens of thousands of dollars! How was I supposed to know she’d get so upset?”

“Think about how she talks about that Phil guy,” Jonouchi says, “You know his family has money, and you heard her talkin’ about how he holds it over her all the time.”

“He uses his money to manipulate people,” Otogi agrees, “and he keeps trying to use it to manipulate Sara ‘cause he doesn’t like her.”

Yuugi adds, “Yeah, so she probably sees this as a kind of threat. Money like this has only ever been offered to her with strings attached, so it makes sense she’s upset, Kaiba.”

“She probably thinks you’re gonna try to extort her or blackmail her or something,” Honda says.

“I’m not going to do any of those things!”

“ _We_ know that,” Yuugi says, “but she doesn’t.”

“Nii-sama, you should go talk to her. Explain why you did it and that you don’t mean anything bad by it.”

Seto almost pouts. He doesn’t _want_ to explain himself. He shouldn’t have to. He offered Sara a gift, and she got upset with him over it. But the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes (to his horror) that everyone is correct. This animosity she has with Biddle wasn’t something he’d counted on, but it turned out to be the most important one. _I hate apologizing._ Saying nothing to the rest of the group, he just gets to his feet and tries to follow Sara’s trail. He doesn’t hear Jonouchi’s question of, “But why _did_ he do it?” or see Mokuba’s shrug in response.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take too long to find her. Sara hasn’t gone too far, just sits on the steps leading into the building, her face buried in her knees. Seto quickly puts together the words he wants and tells her flatly, “I apologize for upsetting you, Miss Keyes. That was not my intention-“

“Oh, can the corporate apology,” she says, “I don’t need it. I should probably apologize myself… Real great example of a mature adult right here. Y’know, hitting a minor is usually frowned upon. You could probably have me arrested.”

“Good thing I don’t want you arrested then.”

“Guess so…”

Quiet reigns over them, both looking toward the city of Luxor, the morning’s call to prayer floating through the air. After about a minute, Sara says, “C’mon and sit. Stop standing over me like a vulture.”

He has a moment of hesitation, but he does oblige her. _Why? Why am I doing this for her?_

“I do appreciate your gift, Seto,” she tells him quietly, and something twists in his chest at the use of his name, “but-… but in my experience, gifts like that don’t come without a major cost. Your price might be too high for me to pay.”

He thinks about lying. He could tell her that he wants her to work for him or to join the Domino Museum or have his name somewhere in her research.

“What are your plans for your research?” he asks instead.

“Well, I need to complete it. I’ll be writing a massive doctoral dissertation at some point. I was thinking of writing a book, y’know, earn some extra money to keep doing research. Wouldn’t charge anyone for the dissertation, though, especially not students. There’s already too much research behind paywalls,” she explains, “Anyway… yeah, I just think the world should know about Peherankhotep, make sure he’s remembered, try to kinda bring him back to life in a way.”

Seto’s breath catches in his throat, and it must do so audibly because Sara finally looks at him.

“Guess that sounds weird to you. You knew him, after all. You’ll remember him no matter what.”

“Yes… Yes, I will.”

“What was he like? Peherankhotep?”

That name still sounds wrong, especially when he knows the Pharaoh’s real name. Again, Seto wants to lie, to simply say he was good and leave it at that… but he can’t. Something about Sara makes him want to tell the truth. Maybe because she doesn’t care who he is, because she doesn’t know him, because she won’t judge him.

“He was-… Honestly, at first he was frightening. He didn’t have the slightest idea who he was, so he was just a lonely ghost trapped in a puzzle and only coming out when he needed to protect the boy who was his host.”

“And his host was Yuugi, right?”

“Yes. We’ve been through a lot since he came along… and we weren’t always on friendly terms,” Seto tells her truthfully, “but the Pharaoh never let that get in the way. Just like Yuugi, he always called me his friend, always stood up for me… and he saved my life plenty of times, too.”

“Did you love him?”

Her expression is open, void of judgement, just a kind of empathetic curiosity.

“I-… I don’t know. I always considered him a rival. Sometimes I told him I hated him. I’m sure sometimes I believed I hated him.”

“Once I heard that hate and love aren’t opposites,” she says, “To truly feel hate for someone, you have to love them in some way.”

“Don’t you hate Biddle?”

“I despise Phil. There’s a difference… C’mon, tell me more about Peherankhotep.”

“There isn’t much more to say. He tried to befriend everyone, even people who tried to kill him or his friends. Sometimes he even succeeded. I suppose we believed he could fix anything. He was-… He was just a good person. That’s all there is to say.”

Sara simply gives a hum of agreement, and they fall silent again, listening to the sounds of the city coming to life. Finally, Seto tells her, “There’s no price to pay. All I ask is that you finish your research and tell the world what- what he did, the Pharaoh. For that, I’ll offer any assistance I can. He shouldn’t be forgotten.”

“I’ll do my best, Seto.”

She stands, Seto following suit, and she says, “Y’know, I think this is the most vulnerable I’ve seen you yet. Makes sense you probably wanna seem tough all the time when you’re a seventeen year old CEO of a multibillion dollar corporation. Lots of shitty people probably wanna see you fail or fall down… but not those friends of yours. You should let them in under that big tough shell you have. They’ll be there for you, I know it. Especially Yuugi. You should really talk to him.”

A brief glance and she stretches her arms and back, joints popping faintly, saying, “Well, I’m gonna go get some sleep. Isis and Raniya can handle everything at the tomb, then I have more translation work to do before I have the whole story on Peherankhotep.”

“Watch yourself. You know Biddle is desperate to get his hands on your work. Mokuba even saw him talking to Bakura yesterday at Karnak.”

“I’m not worried. I have a surefire plan to get rid of Phil. It’s idiot-proof.”

“I’ve heard plenty of idiots say that,” Seto says, “I know his type. They have no drive to do real work, but they’ll go to great lengths to get what they want, no matter how sleazy they have to be to get it. What Biddle wants is to humiliate you and use your work as his own. People like him are devious.”

“So am I.”

“Just-… Just be careful, Sara.”

She doesn’t reply, but her expression says enough. With a quick farewell, Sara goes back inside for her well-earned rest. Her words roll around in his mind like they’re in a tempest. Part of him wants to walk right up to Biddle and tell him he’s already lost. _No, that would make him desperate. Let him show some of his hand first, then we’ll know what to play._ Just like chess or Duel Monsters, sometimes you need to take some damage to win in the end.

“Hey, is everything okay with Sara? I saw her heading upstairs.”

Yuugi stands beside him, concern (as always) easily read on his face. Sara’s advice comes swirling back. _You should talk to Yuugi. He won’t judge you._ But now isn’t the time.

“Yes, everything’s fine, Yuugi. All smoothed over. She’s going to get some sleep now.”

“That’s good. She did seem pretty tired this morning, but I guess pulling an all-nighter does that to you. Anyway, I think we were just going to spend the morning hanging out around here. You’re welcome to join us, Kaiba,” Yuugi says warmly.

“I suppose I could. KaibaCorp won’t fall apart in a day if I don’t call.”

It’s heartening to see Yuugi’s face light up with realization and happiness.

“There you are!” Bakura calls, “Hurry up, you two! We’re going to play Dungeon Dice! Otogi brought it with him! It’s going to be so fun!”

Bakura’s enthusiasm is infectious, and Seto actually jogs to keep up with him and Yuugi. _A little fun never hurt anyone. Might as well enjoy myself._

* * *

“Hey, I need to run upstairs for a moment. Don’t play without me, okay?” Ryou says.

Everyone agrees, and he hurries up the stairs… though he isn’t going into his own room. He’s careful to be quiet since he knows Sara is asleep. _No, I don’t want to wake her. That would be rude._ For once, he’s grateful to have had the Thief King living in his head; it makes all of this much easier. He quickly locates the correct drawer in her desk, and he finds the research precisely where he was told to look. _Too easy._

Biddle is waiting where he said he would be too, wearing an evil smirk that Ryou finds horribly familiar. To think he would betray a friend to this man…

* * *

Yuugi laughs out loud, for the first time since the Ceremonial Duel. Kaiba and Otogi are in the middle of a fierce argument over Dungeon Dice, but not about rules.

“There’s no Blue-Eyes White Dragon piece?! How dare you!”

“We don’t need Blue-Eyes-“

“You put Dark Magician in!”

Otogi smirks, saying, “Blue-Eyes is overrated, Kaiba.”

Kaiba looks like he’s about to have a stroke, so Yuugi finally steps in, “Alright, calm down. I’m sure Otogi’s just messing with you on purpose. Let’s play another game, huh?”

“Let’s play Capsule Monsters!” Mokuba calls out.

And Yuugi’s grateful for it. Someone else was bound to suggest Duel Monsters, and he doesn’t know if he’s quite ready to play again. He loves Duel Monsters. It’s the game that brought him so many friends, but it’s also the game that took away his closest friend. _No, that’s not entirely true._ Atem made the choice, and it was the right one. His place was no longer with them in the present but with those who loved him first. He was a spirit, after all. His place is in the spirit world. _But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt._

“Hey, you okay, Yuugi?” Jonouchi asks, “Ya kinda spaced out there.”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking.”

Jonouchi looks like he wants to ask what he was thinking about but decides not to, and Yuugi gives a quiet sigh of relief. There are too many people here having too good a time. He doesn’t want his sadness to bring the mood down. Thankfully, Bakura’s return draws attention away from him, and Yuugi calls, “You’re back! Everything taken care of?”

“Yes, everything’s fine now. What are we playing next?”

“Capsule Monsters!”

“Wonderful! I haven’t had much opportunity to play it, so you’ll have to teach me…”

Bakura’s excitement cheers Yuugi up sufficiently, and a rousing game of Capsule Monsters soon starts. It quickly devolves into Mokuba angrily spouting rules, arguments over those rules, and a fair number of teasing personal attacks. Their raucous fun attracts a small crowd of students, some of whom join in.

“Anzu, how did _you_ win?” Honda whines.

“Because you were all busy being idiots and arguing with each other the whole time! It’s easy to beat a bunch of bickering babies!” she replies, “You were all so intent on beating each other, you forgot I was playing!”

“You and me, Anzu! Let’s see who’s the best player here!” Kaiba demands.

“No way! You were the second one knocked out, Kaiba! If I’m gonna play anyone for the Capsule Monsters title, it’ll be Mokuba!”

“Alright! C’mon, Anzu, let’s do this-“

“It’s gone! My research! It’s all gone!”

Sara stands in the doorway to the common room, frantic.

“What?”

“All of it!” she cries, “Every paper, every photograph, every- everything!”

The students all start whispering while Sara continues, “And I know who did it! We all do! It was Phil! Phil Biddle!”

“You sure of that, Sara?”

Sara’s glare is so cold it sends a shiver up Yuugi’s spine, and she’s not even looking at him. She’s shaking with rage.

“Of course I am,” she spits, “You’re the only one who’s threatened to steal it! Who else could’ve done it?”

“Another student. A worker. One of your little friends there. Anyone.”

“No one else is stupid enough, Phil.”

“Believe what you want. I’m certainly not going to change your mind,” he sneers, “If I were you though, I’d ask your Japanese friends there.”

He says nothing, simply leaves still wearing that obnoxious sneer. Yuugi sneaks a look a Bakura. He _was_ gone for quite a while earlier…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was a short one but i gotta set up all the action somehow


	6. Chapter 6

_Everything is going according to plan._ It’s been one day since the disappearance of Sara’s research, but she isn’t panicking. She has backups of everything, and she has backups of her backups, not wanting to repeat the scare she had during her master’s thesis when she thought she lost everything on her laptop. (The memory still makes her shudder.) Even her mom has a copy of all her work in case all her other backups fail. This is all, of course, her little secret. Her plan won’t work if Phil knows she still has all her research.

Just because it’s part of her plan doesn’t mean she knows who the actual thief is, though. It’s better if she doesn’t. Besides, it will come out in due time.

The screen in front of her starts to blur, and she sighs and rubs her eyes. _I’ve been at this a while now._ The work isn’t particularly difficult, just tedious.

“Well,” she says to herself, “I think it’s time for a break now.”

She packs up her work and saves her files in the usual places. The physical copies of her work are coming with her from now on, at least until she can rid herself of Phil. That certainly won’t be easy. _At least, that’s what Seto thinks._ He’s a tough one to crack. It can’t be easy being CEO of a multibillion dollar corporation at seventeen, less so when he took over at fourteen. He has to raise his younger brother, manage the company, complete schoolwork… Then there’s his being here with a group of people who he _says_ aren’t his friends, but they seem to like him well enough. He donated a large amount of money to a relative stranger, apologized, has asked good questions and offered good advice, but he’d seemed embarrassed when he had to apologize. _Who the hell is he?_

Realizing she’s been walking, Sara stops, looks up, blinks. Room number 9. Seto, Mokuba, and Yuugi’s room. _Why am I here?_ Before she can answer her own question, the door opens.

“Can I help you, Miss Keyes?” Seto asks, wearing his usual scowl.

She blinks again. Surely there’s a feasible lie she could tell. No, she was just passing by, moving to the next location… but she can’t.

“Yes, I think you can. Can I come in?”

Surprise flickers across his face for a brief moment, but he covers it quickly, stepping aside to let her in. Two of the bunks look clearly slept in, the blankets strewn about. One has no sheets, and the other is perfectly made. The desk has clearly been taken over for Seto’s work, topped with a sleek laptop and several thick folders.

“Where are Yuugi and Mokuba?” she asks.

“The nerd herd went into the city with Malik and Rishid again, and Mokuba wanted to go. I needed to get some work done, so I stayed behind.”

“You’re always so disparaging of your friends.”

“They’re not my friends-“

“You keep saying that. Fortunately for you, I’m an archaeology student and not a psych student.”

“What do you need?” Seto demands.

“Yesterday, when we talked, you told me to be careful, that Phil’s more devious than I give him credit for. What did you mean by that?”

“Precisely what I said. Biddle’s sort are always more devious than anyone expects. They spend their whole lives trying to figure out the easiest way to do something, the way that will take the least amount of effort. When you go through life being handed whatever you want, you think absolutely everything else in life should be the same way.”

“Maybe this is an ignorant question, but… but wasn’t your life like that?” Sara asks.

“It wasn’t. To make a long story short, Mokuba and I weren’t born into the Kaiba family. Our parents died when we were young, and I got Gozaburo to adopt us. That’s not to say he was our father. He was a taskmaster. I was only there to become a corporate heir, and I worked hard for all of it. Most importantly, I worked that hard so Mokuba wouldn’t have to.”

There’s a fire in his eyes and flush to his cheeks. He’s _angry_.

“Sorry,” she says honestly, “I didn’t mean to imply anything.”

“Clearly you didn’t know. It’s not something I go around telling everyone.”

“Makes sense… Anyway, like I said, I need your help. I need to know how to beat him. You’re a strategist. You spend all day thinking about how other people think. Tell me what he’s thinking.”

“I’ve already told you that. He wants to humiliate you.”

“Well yeah, that much is obvious,” she rolls her eyes, “but _how_? What’s his strategy?”

Seto is quiet for a long moment, clearly thinking, his brow knit.

“If I were up against him in Duel Monsters,” he finally says, “and I didn’t know anything else about him besides meeting him and what you’ve told me, I would expect someone like him to have a lot of high-powered monsters: lots of attack, little regard for defense, no effects. Purely a beatdown deck. His goal is just to attack and attack and attack until he wins.”

“Isn’t that the whole point of Duel Monsters?”

“Yes, but there are other ways of winning besides loading up on attack points. There are Spell and Trap cards you can use to hit the opponent’s Life Points, or to lower their monsters’ attack, or to power up your own monsters.”

“And there are some that can prevent them from attacking or changing position.”

“Correct. A good deck will have a solid ratio of Spell, Trap, and Monster cards, as well as a mix of monsters with high attack and defense. Some people will have decks with themes, like insects or spellcasters-“

“Or dragons?” she smirks.

“-and their Spells and Traps will reflect that preference, only influencing those types of monsters. Biddle seems like he would have a warrior deck. High attack. Low defense. Almost no Spells or Traps, but the ones he does have would raise his monsters’ attack even more.”

“This is all well and good for a hypothetical Duel, but it’s not really helping-“

“Think about it, Sara. His money is like those high-attack monsters,” Seto explains, “He thinks it can get him out of anything he wants, can get him anything he wants. When that doesn’t work he ups the ante, finds some way to make that money more powerful, to make it work for him. He’s becoming increasingly desperate to get rid of you. I imagine he’ll start getting creative.”

“In what way?”

“If we knew, it wouldn’t be creative, would it?”

Sara huffs, slumps in her chair. _I don’t know that he was as helpful as I was hoping._ She doesn’t want Phil getting creative. It easier to get one over on him when he keeps doing the same stupid thing over and over.

“Y’know- and if you tell them I said this, I’ll deny it- you’ve made good friends in that group of geeks. Once they consider you their friend, they’ll do anything to help you,” Seto tells her.

“Are you speaking from experience?”

“Perhaps…”

“I think you really do consider them your friends, Seto. You just like denying it.”

He just shrugs. Sara stretches slightly, says, “Anyway, I need to head to the tomb and get some more work done. Could I possibly leave my research with you? I want to keep it somewhere safe after yesterday. I’m sure you’ve already secured the room several times over.”

“Your work will be perfectly safe with me, Sara.”

_He’s telling the truth._ Something about him makes Sara trust him implicitly, and she wishes she knew why. He’s everything she hates about Phil, but also not… _Damn him._

“You should come with me to the tomb,” she says before she knows why, “I’m going to be analyzing the stele of Mereseshep, and I remember you showing some interest in her story. Just an offer, in case you wanted to take break or something.”

The expression on his face isn’t quite readable, though he seems to be trying to hide some kind of emotion, maybe curiosity, maybe sadness.

* * *

_Doesn’t she know? Can’t she see she looks like Kisara?_ He’s assaulted by the memories of the poor girl with the white hair who only wanted to belong and the boy who became a high priest but still couldn’t save her.

“You don’t have to come, of course. Like I said, just an offer.”

“I’d like to come,” he finds himself saying, “I find your work fascinating, Sara.”

“Great, guess I’ll bring my work with me then-“

“No, I have a safe you can put it in. It’ll be safest there.”

He doesn’t know why he’s helping her, why he even wants to help her. Even as he puts her research in his safe, he’s trying to figure out why. It’s not a crush or some kind of romantic attraction. Contrary to popular belief, Seto Kaiba is not a robot. He _has_ experienced crushes and that sort of thing before, so he knows this isn’t that.

They don’t really talk on the way to the tomb, just Sara asking how Seto likes Egypt and Luxor and Seto answering in as few words as possible.

“Y’know, I think everyone feels a little uneasy the first couple times they enter a tomb,” Sara says, “I know I did. You kinda feel like they’re watching you. If the Egyptians were right, they might be. That’s what they looked forward to, being able to look back into the world of the living from the afterlife. I kinda like the idea myself, their ghosts watching me work and remember them.”

Seto feels his stomach lurch at the thought of the Pharaoh watching him from wherever he is. Sara doesn’t seem to notice anything wrong and leaves him to approach the image of Kisara. At that point, she goes quiet, just gazing at the stone and writing in a notebook. Seto remains silent too, not wanting to disturb her as she works, just observing. Every so often, she grumbles, crosses something out, her brow furrowed and her nose scrunched. Her expression slowly softens as she works, clearly pleased with whatever she’s finding.

“This might be the sweetest thing I’ve ever read,” she finally says.

“What is it?”

“It’s Meryatem talking about Mereseshep. He uses one of my favorite epithets for her: She for Whom the Sun Shines. He really loved her.”

His stomach lurches again, and again his discomfort goes unnoticed by Sara, who continues, “He’s got a fair amount to say about her… Also explains why he never wed.”

“What does it say?”

“ _Here is Mereseshep, She for Whom the Sun Shines, she who would have been my wife. Wise, kind, and beautiful, in her breast beat the heart of a dragon. None would have made a better queen. Alas!, she died before her time, in the Great Battle Against Evil. Deprived of her, I would have no other as my queen. How I long for our reunion in Sekhet-Aaru!_ ” Sara recites, pauses, says, “I think it’s sweet.”

When the silence drags on, she adds, “We do know Meryatem never married. His successor was one he handpicked from an unrelated family.”

“That’s odd?”

“Quite. Most pharaohs actually had multiple wives, with one typically being more prominent than the others, known as the Great Wife. Plenty of those were political marriages, to secure alliances, to show subjugation, _et cetera._ When possible, they did often marry a sister or half-sister to keep ‘pure bloodlines,’ which we know today is a load of crap. Just led to a lot of inbreeding and genetic disease.”

She puts down her notebook and stretches, saying, “Well, I sure hope Meryatem got his wish… that he and Mereseshep are together now. Oh! We oughta head back. I’m sure everyone’s returned from the city by now.”

Seto wordlessly follows her from the tomb and back toward their lodgings.

“You don’t have to humor me, y’know,” she says out of the blue, “You’ve already done so much for me. If you aren’t interested in my work-“

“I am interested. As you’ve said, I knew the Pharaoh. I’d like to see the world learn about what he did,” he says honestly, “I want the world to remember him.”

“You sure you don’t wanna be an archaeologist?”

“Quite sure.”

“Hey, there you are!”

Honda and Jonouchi come running over, and they’re barely stopped before Jonouchi tells them, “Sara, if you need me to kick this Phil guy’s ass, I’m ready to go-“

“Goddammit, what did he do now? Might kick his ass myself.”

“It’s easier if you come with us,” Honda says, “C’mon…”

The four of them hurry back. Sara is quickly confronted by another student, asking, “Dude, what the hell is goin’ on?”

“I dunno, Tanisha, I just got here. What do _you_ think is going on?”

“Whatever it is, it’s not good, and you’re not gonna like it.”

Tanisha hands over a sheet of paper to Sara, who reads it, reads it again… and then she bursts out laughing. For the first time in their lives, Seto, Jonouchi, and Honda all share a look of confusion. Tanisha speaks up, “Sara, why are you laughing? This is _not_ funny! He’s gonna ruin you!”

“The hell he is! This is the moment I’ve been waiting for!” she declares gleefully, “I’m about to end this man’s whole career!”

As she marches into the building, the other four can only follow, and Seto is sure he’s not the only one wondering what’s about to happen.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter ahead! (at least it's longer than any of the other chapters lol)
> 
> This is also contains some swearing, and two of the scenes that made me want to write this entire fic

For someone who’s shorter than Seto, Sara can move awful quick. She’s already standing in front of Biddle in the common room, arms crossed, defiant.

“Can I help you, Sara?” Biddle asks, smirking.

“Wanna tell me about this _fascinating_ discovery you’ve made?”

“I think my press release is self-explanatory. I know the name of the Lost Pharaoh.”

“Oh, do you?”

“Yes, I do, and since you’ve been _such_ a good friend to me, I’ll tell you what it is,” he says triumphantly, “It’s Pentawer.”

There’s a moment of silence. Seto shares a look with Yuugi and his friends. _That isn’t the Pharaoh’s name…_ The silence is broken by Sara bursting out laughing.

“You don’t know _shit_!” she declares.

“What? It’s right in front of you!”

“Oh, I know every little detail in this ‘press release’, Phil… because I wrote it! I made it all up! And if you weren’t such an idiot, you’d know Pentawer was a criminal involved in the Harem Conspiracy when his mother wanted to put him on the throne. I knew you’d be too stupid to remember him, so I thought he was the perfect front. Someone who reached too far and it made him lose his balance and fall.”

Biddle is no longer smirking, but Sara is, a triumphant, almost evil smirk. She slams the paper down on the table in front of him, crowing, “That’s right. I made it _all_ up. You stole fake research, you absolute fucking _fool_.”

“I didn’t steal anythi-“

“My bad. You bribed a teenager to do it for you because you’re a coward. Too bad for you, that teenager is one of _my_ friends.”

“Yes,” Bakura speaks up, “it was very foolish of you to use someone you didn’t know wouldn’t go telling on you.”

“Thank you, Bakura, you made an excellent thief. Just don’t go making a habit of it,” Sara tells him.

“I don’t intend to.”

“Anyway, don’t you remember, _Phil_? We had a whole conversation where you threatened to steal my research via one of Yuugi’s friends. Everyone knows you should never give away your whole evil plan because when you do, the hero can work out how to stop it.”

Biddle’s face has an angry flush now, and something in Seto loves seeing the man squirm.

“Wha-? What the hell are you talking about, Keyes?”

“Oh, I’m ‘Keyes’ now? How formal… When you give me your whole plan, I can tell Yuugi and his friends what you’re planning. I can set up a double agent. Most importantly, I can set up false information and incorrect translations, which you would have instantly recognized as such if you weren’t an incompetent asshole. Your _fascinating discovery_ is garbage, while _my_ research is still intact. And now, everyone here knows what an absolute scumbag you really are. I’d call that checkmate.”

It’s Biddle’s move now. He’s red-faced and scowling, clearly outraged at being (so easily) outwitted. Sara certainly does seem to have backed him into a corner. _And with a sizable donation from KaibaCorp to finish her work, he doesn’t have anything to hold over her anymore._ The other archaeological students are now murmuring to each other, casting sidelong glances at Biddle. Seto hopes he feels embarrassed.

“Now, if I recall…” Sara continues, “this is your… third time unsuccessfully trying to steal my research. I think you should quit while you’re ahead.”

“You’ll be leaving Egypt soon anyway, since all your money’s gone,” he spits.

“Oh? You haven’t heard? The Egyptology doctoral program has just received _extremely_ generous funding, and so I’ll be able to stay in Egypt studying as long as I please.”

Biddle jumps out of his chair right in Sara’s face. Seto readies himself to fight, and he feels everyone else do so too, especially Jonouchi and Honda. Sara doesn’t even flinch.

“You should know by now that you don’t scare me, _Philip_.”

“You- I can’t believe you-“

“ _You_ can’t believe _me_? You’re the thief here!”

“You set me up!”

“You’re goddamn right I did! You’ve tried to ruin my life three times over now! How many other people’s work have you stolen or lives have you ruined? About time you got a taste of your own medicine.”

The room is silent now save for Biddle’s angry breathing. Jonouchi and Honda are still tightly wound, ready to pounce should Biddle move to hurt Sara, and so is Seto.

“You-… You can’t do this to me.”

“I already have.”

“You can’t force to me leave, Keyes,” he says dangerously.

“That’s very true. I can’t make you leave… unless the authorities get involved.”

Biddle looks like he might have a stroke any second.

“I have an idea.”

Everyone turns to look at Bakura, his brown eyes still a little wide and fearful. Biddle sneers at him, “Why should you have an idea? You’re the one who ruined everything!”

“Not quite. We were all in on it, after all. Sara told us what you were planning on doing, and we played along.”

“Yeah,” Anzu agrees, “the day we all went to Karnak, she gave me a note with everything you said and everything she thought would happen.”

“Of course, I recorded the conversation on my phone-“

“-and I hid nearby taking a video,” Mokuba says.

Biddle still looks ready to have a stroke, only worse. Unfazed, Bakura continues, “Anyway, I suppose the best way for the two of you to settle this is the way the Ancient Egyptians would have.”

“With a quick trial and swift execution?” Sara says, “Count me in.”

“N-No, that wasn’t _quite_ what I had in mind. As both of you know, ancient Egyptians loved games. Senet was very popular, and apparently among the court, so was an early version of Duel Monsters. You could settle your quarrel with a game.”

“A _game_?”

“Yeah, we’ve done it plenty of times,” Yuugi says, “with Duel Monsters-“

“-or Dungeon Dice Monsters-“

“-or Capsule Monsters!”

“Yes, so if the Egyptians used Duel Monsters to settle arguments, why shouldn’t you?”

“Because we’re adults!” Biddle snaps, “I’m not letting a stupid card game decide my fate!”

“Sounds to me like you’re just afraid you’ll _lose_ ,” Sara taunts him. 

For a moment, Seto wonders if Biddle will take the bait. It’s a pretty obvious taunt (one he fully admits would work on him if the right person used it), but he wonders how easily Biddle will-

“I would never lose to you!”

“Prove it!”

“Fine! Name your terms!”

_That was very easy_. Sara makes a show of thinking, finally says, “If I win, you have to leave Egypt for good, and never talk to me or contact me in any way again. How’s that?”

“Fine, and when I win, _you_ leave Egypt, and you leave your research with me.”

“Hell no. _If_ you win, I’ll gladly leave, but there’s no way in hell I’m leaving you my work. I will add you as a contributor and make believe you actually did some work.”

Biddle looks as though he wants to say no, but he seems to think better of it, realizing that Sara holds all the cards here, and they shake on it.

“I assume you’ll want to use your own Duel Monsters deck, Biddle?” she offers.

In an interesting twist, Biddle now blanches, saying, “I don’t have one.”

Seto scoffs, says, “Guess I have to fix every mess around here… We’ll make this as fair as possible. I have all my cards with me. I’ll send Mokuba and Dr. Mutou to make four decks, each with different strengths. You’ll each choose a deck based on one visible card. You get a night to familiarize yourself with that deck, and tomorrow, I’ll provide you each with a Duel Disk. That’s when we’ll see whose skills will determine their fate. Any arguments?”

Predictably, there are none, so Seto continues, “Mokuba, take Dr. Mutou back to our room and get to work on those decks. You have two hours, then we’ll meet back down here for these two to choose their decks.”

Mokuba cheerfully takes Dr. Mutou by the arm and leads him away, and for a moment Seto thinks he might’ve made a mistake putting the two chatterboxes together. When he checks on them an hour later, though, he finds his fears misguided.

“We’re about to start the last one now, nii-sama! Y’know, me and Yuugi’s grandpa have been having lots of fun!”

“I’m glad to hear that, Mokuba.”

Seto looks through the decks they’ve already made and finds no fault, already knowing which Biddle will choose: Monsters will relatively high attack but no effects, few Spells and Traps, and one heavy hitter that’s difficult to Summon. _Put that one on top and he won’t be able to resist it._ He sets it down, tries not to think about the crazy words about to pass his lips, and says, “Mokuba… make the last deck a Blue-Eyes deck.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Make the last one a Blue-Eyes deck. Include Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. You know what needs to be in there,” he says firmly.

“But- But Seto, you never let anyone else use Blue-Eyes! Not even me!”

“I have a plan. And if you’re worried about Biddle getting his filthy hands on them, don’t be. I guarantee he won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?” Dr. Mutou asks.

“Simple. Make the top card a low attack Monster. He won’t look twice at it.”

Mokuba doesn’t seem convinced, but Dr. Mutou does, and he fixes Seto with a knowing look that makes him squirm slightly. _God, he must do this to Yuugi all the time._ Thankfully, he soon looks away and convinces Mokuba that Seto is right, and they set to work. Mokuba picks out all the cards related to either Blue-Eyes, Light-attribute Monsters, Dragon-type Monsters, or Normal Monsters, and Dr. Mutou carefully chooses which ones should go into the deck. It won’t be long before it’s completed, and Seto feels a thrill of satisfaction. _This plan will work. I know it._

* * *

There’s a restless energy flowing through Sara, making her feel twitchy.

“You ought to calm yourself,” Isis says, “Worrying isn’t going to help.”

“I know, but-… I dunno, I can’t really explain it. I’m not _worried_ , I guess. I think I’m excited. Y’know, something is finally happening where I can confront Phil and make him face consequences, and I’m _excited_.”

“You’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, haven’t you?”

“Mhm… ever since freshman year,” Sara replies, pauses, quietly wonders, “Do you think I can win, Isis?”

She turns and looks at her friend, and Isis’ eyes are bright and fiery as she answers, “You _will_ win. I know that victory is your destiny, Sara.”

Isis takes her hand, holding it firmly, a show of solidarity, and Sara squeezes back. It’s nice to turn off her mind for a bit and forget the most important moment of her life is about to happen (and it will be a card game) and just focus on the comfort of someone she cares about.

“You’re a really good friend, Isis.”

“As are you.”

“No, I really mean it. Ever since we met when I was a lowly undergrad doing a field study, you’ve always been so nice to me… so thank you.”

Isis simply smiles in response, and Sara feels her heart flutter as her hand is squeezed again.

“Come,” Isis says, “It is time to fulfill your destiny.”

The little dining hall is packed, Seto standing tall in the center with Mokuba and Dr. Mutou at his side. Anzu and her friends greet her warmly.

“You’re gonna be great!” Jonouchi says cheerfully.

“Yeah, you have nothin’ to worry about at all!”

“You’re gonna crush this creep!”

“Of course she is! Sara, you’re sure to win!”

“We’ll see about that.”

Every muscle in her body tenses as Phil walks in. He saunters over and tells them, “Well, let’s get this over with. I’m a busy man.”

“Busy being a thief,” Sara mumbles.

The glare she receives tells her she was heard. _Good._

“I’ve already explained how this will work,” Seto announces, “You will each choose one deck out of these four. Only one card will be visible to you, and you’ll have to choose your deck based on that card alone. You’ll have all night to learn your deck and strategize. Tomorrow… you Duel.”

Mokuba steps forward, sets a large metal case down, and opens it, revealing the four decks. A hush falls over the crowd as the competitors step forward. Sara takes a close look at the four cards. One is a Spell card, Soul Exchange, while another has a Trap, Crush Card. The other two are topped with Monsters cards: Vorse Raider, which has 1900 ATK, and Maiden with Eyes of Blue, which has 0 ATK. Neither of them wants to pick first, Sara knowing her own strategy is to see what Phil will do before choosing. _I could force his hand…_ She smirks, says, “What’s the matter, Phil? Worried you’re gonna lose? That why you’re stalling?”

“No, of course not,” he snaps, “You’re gonna be the loser here, Keyes.”

“Well, I already know which deck I wanna use to kick your ass, so ya better make up your mind.”

Phil makes a noise between a snort and a growl before mumbling, “As if,” and stepping forward to grab his deck. Sara lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when he chooses Vorse Raider and returns to the decks, reaching for Crush Card. Something stops her, though, and her attention is drawn to Maiden with Eyes of Blue, the woman peering up from her card. _It’s like she wants me to choose her._ The Maiden seems to be a weak Monster at first glance, absolutely no attack or defense. Crush Card seems far more useful… but she chooses Maiden with Eyes of Blue anyway.

“Your decks have been chosen,” Seto announces, “We’ll set the Duel for tomorrow at nine o’clock out by the tomb of Meryatem. Take the time to familiarize yourselves with your decks and strategize. Tomorrow at the dueling location, you’ll receive your Duel Disks.”

“Prepare to lose, Keyes,” Phil sneers, and he stalks out of the room.

Sara just huffs and looks down at her top card. The Maiden is lovely, with flowing white hair adorned with braids and a kind expression. _She sorta looks like me._ Her thumb skates over the image.

“Hey, you don’t need to worry, Sara,” Yuugi says, “You’re gonna do fine.”

Jonouchi adds, “Yeah, you’re gonna crush this creep! What did ya pick?”

They crowd around her to look, and Yuugi’s eyes get impossibly bigger.

“Did-? Did you read this?” he stammers.

“After I picked it, yeah.”

“So you realize what this does?”

“I mean, it’s pretty clear. Says I can use its effect to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon.”

They’re all still staring at her incredulously.

“This clearly has more significance than I’m aware of.”

Everyone turns to Seto now, who (aside from Mokuba and Dr. Mutou) is the only one who seems unconcerned.

“Kaiba, where did you get this card?” Yuugi asks, “You’ve never played this before.”

“And are all your Blue-Eyes in there? You don’t let anyone use your Blue-Eyes!” Jonouchi says, “That one time I used Enemy Controller and took over one of ‘em you got so mad you destroyed it!”

“I suppose you’ll all find out tomorrow during the Duel,” he answers without answering, “For now, it’s only fair if we leave Sara to strategize on her own. After all, Biddle certainly doesn’t have any friends to help him. If Sara gets help, he’ll cry foul… loudly. Sara, keep those cards safe. I’m going to track down Biddle and tell him the same thing.”

Seto sweeps out of the room, Mokuba running after him. A moment passes, and Yuugi and his friends round on his grandfather with questions about the deck.

“All of you quiet down! You heard Kaiba. You’ll see what’s in the deck tomorrow. For now, why don’t you all offer Sara some encouragement for her Duel?”

“Great idea!” Bakura says cheerfully, “You really will do well tomorrow, Sara. I know it.”

“Yeah, because you’re fighting for your future,” Honda adds, and Jonouchi jumps in, “And when you’re fightin’ for somethin’ important, you’re sure to win!”

Otogi speaks up, “Just have confidence in every move you make and you can’t go wrong.”

“We’re all going to be right there with you, Sara,” Anzu says, “You won’t be alone.”

They all look to Yuugi. His eyes are surprisingly bright, like he’s ready to cry, but his voice doesn’t waver as he tells her, “Most importantly, put your trust in the Heart of the Cards. Once you believe in that, no one will be able to defeat you!”

Sara doesn’t _really_ know what Yuugi means by ‘the Heart of the Cards,’ but he believes in it, and that’s enough for her. _They all believe in me… they really do._ She can tell this isn’t some act they’re putting on. They all genuinely believe in her. A warm hand settles on her shoulder. Isis smiles at her warmly, saying, “We all control our own destinies, Sara, and you have yours well in hand. I know you will win tomorrow.”

“Thank you. All of you. I really appreciate all the friendship you’ve given me. It means a lot, especially during all of this,” she says, still clutching the deck, “I’m not giving up without a fight.”

“Ugh, did they all give you one of their heartwarming friendship speeches?”

Seto has returned, frowning in the doorway, Mokuba grinning by his side.

“They did. It warmed my heart thoroughly. Very stirring.”

“I’m sure… Well, I only have once piece of advice for you.”

“Which is?”

“Crush him.”

“That wasn’t quite as inspiring as everyone else’s advice,” she teases.

“Because I don’t do inspiring or heartwarming.”

“We’ve noticed,” Anzu says.

“Anyway, like I said, thank you all so much for helping me,” Sara tells them, “You didn’t have go through all the trouble you have. I’m going to try and make you all proud tomorrow.”

“You’re not doing this for us,” Yuugi says, “You’re doing it for you.”

“Still, I don’t wanna embarrass myself in front of some world-class Duelists… Alright, I’m gonna head up to my room and learn this deck inside and out!”

* * *

It’s almost midnight, and Sara is _really_ beginning to hate Duel Monsters. Almost all the cards in this deck have crazy effects, and memorizing them all is making her head spin. _I bet Seto or Yuugi or Jonouchi could do this easy…_ She heaves what’s probably her millionth sigh, rubs at her eyes, looks at the Maiden again. Something flickers at the back of her mind, something familiar. She pulls up her research, gazing at the photographs, then retrieves the hard copies from their hiding place. _That’s right… there’s a Blue-Eyes White Dragon with Meryatem on the memorial stele… and the Maiden with Eyes of Blue…_ Sara flips furiously through the images until-

“Mereseshep,” she breathes.

“I was wondering when you would figure it out.”

The voice is playful, friendly, almost musical, but when Sara is supposed to be alone, it’s terrifying. The sight she’s greeted with upon turning isn’t any less frightening, either. The ghostly figure of a woman stands before her, clothed in the fine linens and jewels of an Egyptian with high status. She doesn’t _look_ Egyptian, has fair skin and flowing white hair adorned with braids and eyes of vivid blue. _She looks like…_

“Me- Mereseshep?” Sara asks.

“Yes. Of course, that is not the name I had when I was alive, but as my beloved gave it to me, I cherish it as I would a gift of the finest jewels,” the ghost replies, “You know, Sara, we’ve been watching you work to tell our story.”

“You’ve been- Wait, who is ‘we’?”

“Those of us buried in the tomb. We’ve been waiting for you to come and tell our story, though we had to wait for the Pharaoh to return to us. Now that he is here, the full story is ready to be told.”

“Wouldn’t Yuugi do a better job telling Peherankhotep’s story? I mean, he knew him.”

“Yuugi is not a scientist. He has no evidence, and so people will simply think he is a boy telling tales. You have all the evidence you need, and you have the skill to uncover it, Sara.”

Sara just stares, not knowing what to say. _I always did say I felt like they were watching me, but I didn’t think I was being literal._ Actual spirits of the dead were actually keeping an eye on her as she worked. That should probably be frightening. She should probably be scared… but she isn’t. Mereseshep is a comforting presence, warm and light and cheery, and Sara finds herself asking the question she’s wanted to ask since she found the tomb and met her new friends.

“Why do we look alike? We could be twins if not for the three millennia age gap. And Seto and Yuugi, they look like the two Pharaohs. Even Isis has a double in Neferiset.”

“It is the way of things,” Mereseshep answers simply, “People may follow paths that parallel another’s. Seto’s fate parallels my Set’s. Yuugi’s fate parallels that of the Pharaoh. Yours parallels mine.”

“Are we the same person? Like reincarnation?”

“No. If that were so, I couldn’t manifest as I am now. We are… alike, but not the same. Your path will not be identical to mine, only similar.”

“Well… what _was_ your path?”

“You have the tablet. You must know already.”

“The tablet isn’t very forthcoming, honestly,” Sara says, “It just said you were beloved of Meryatem and died in the Great Battle. I don’t really see how we’ll parallel each other.”

“There is more to the story than what’s on the surface. For if you recall, it mentions that within me was a dragon… a great dragon.”

“That was just a metaphor, though… wasn’t it?”

“No, it was not.”

One of the cards on the table begins to glow, drawing Sara’s attention, and the silence of the night is rent by a screeching roar. A beautiful white dragon materializes in the tiny room, its spectral body overflowing the walls and windows. _Surely someone notices this._

“You-… You’re the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?” Sara stammers.

“Yes. I died protecting Set, but not before I transferred my _ka_ beast to him, giving him the power to Summon the dragon that lived inside me. Today, Seto is the sole person in control of the dragons… and now you will be able to control them as I once did.”

“I still don’t understand how we parallel one another, Mereseshep! I’m not involved in some huge battle! I’m not in love with Seto!”

“You don’t have to be,” she replies calmly, “You are in a personal battle against someone who behaves evilly, and that is enough. You seek to help Seto, to be a friend, and that too is enough.”

The dragon huffs quietly beside Mereseshep, and Sara finds herself stepping closer, wanting to see if she can touch it or if it really is a ghost. One thought still overpowers her, and she draws her hand back, whispering, “What if I lose? What if I have to leave?”

“You won’t. Trust in the Heart of the Cards… and in me. Together, we will be victorious.”

Sara lays her hand on the mighty dragon’s snout, and it gives a quiet shriek, blinking up at her. In that moment, Sara jerks awake, photographs still in her hands. The room is empty and silent. No more Mereseshep. No more dragon. _Was I dreaming?_ It must have been a dream. Surely someone would have heard her arguing with nobody. She takes a deep breath to calm herself and catches the scent of a sweet perfume she doesn’t wear.

* * *

“You can’t sleep either, huh?”

“I think that’s obvious, Yuugi.”

Seto barely looks up from his laptop to acknowledge his rival. The work he’s doing isn’t greatly important. It could wait until tomorrow if he wanted, but he doesn’t want to wait. He needs something to do _now_. He only looks up when he feels the couch dip beside him. Yuugi is not looking at him, his sad eyes gazing at the floor. Seto wants to ask all kinds of sarcastic questions. Why is Yuugi bothering him? Why didn’t he wake up the geek squad? Why is he sulking when he’s defeated the greatest Duelist who ever lived? The questions all die in his throat. Seto Kaiba is not stupid, after all. He’s seen the wistful way Yuugi looks at everything, his eyes big and sad. He’s noticed the way he’s withdrawn a bit and is sleeping even less than Seto and-

“I miss him.”

Yuugi’s eyes are filled with tears, his voice quiet and brittle. _He came to me._ That’s the most startling thing here, that Yuugi is vulnerable and seeking some kind of comfort and he came to _Seto._ He didn’t wake his grandfather or his friends. _He came to me._ Seto has been pretty horrible to him over the years: meanness, rudeness, even downright cruelty sometimes. But here Yuugi is, still wanting to be friends.

For a moment, Seto wonders what it would be like if he were normal, if his parents hadn’t died and left him and Mokuba to family who dumped them at an orphanage, if he never met Gozaburo Kaiba, if he never became Seto _Kaiba_. He’s never told anyone, but sometimes he dreams of having that normal life he was born to, with a mother and father who loved him and Mokuba. He wonders who he would be.

Quietly, Seto closes his laptop to set aside, clears his throat, and admits, “So do I.”

Yuugi looks up at him, surprised, and Seto continues, “He went through so much and always saved the day. He saved you… saved Jonouchi and Honda and Anzu… even saved me and Mokuba when we probably didn’t deserve it.”

“But you _did_ deserve it, Kaiba.”

“Still… The Pharaoh was always there when the smoke cleared, standing victorious... and now he’s gone. It’s just so hard to believe that he- he gave up-“

“He didn’t give up,” Yuugi tells him, “This wasn’t giving up. We all knew this was how it had to end, with him going away. After all, he died three thousand years ago-“

“-but it feels like a week ago. He may have died long ago, but he was with us.”

“Believe me, I know… better than anyone…”

And Seto feels like kicking himself because _of course_ Yuugi knows that. The Pharaoh lived in his head for years. What must that feel like, to share that close a connection only to have to sever it? Seto doesn’t know exactly what the Pharaoh thought of him, if they were only rivals or actually friends or something in between. _To lose someone who was literally part of you…_ Seto has to repress the shudder that wants to roll up his spine.

“Y’know… he told me that it felt right, coming back here,” Yuugi continues, his voice impossibly soft, “that he felt at home. He said he could almost hear people whispering to him from long ago. It was the right thing to do, to help him go back.”

“But it hurts…”

Seto is surprised at how soft his own voice is. Yuugi simply nods. They sit in silence for a long moment. The only sounds are street noises, the air conditioner, and some birds calling to each other. _There’s no one here but us._ Seto thinks about putting the mask back on, the arrogant one that gets him through the days of dealing with even more arrogant businessmen who think they know better than him. It would be easy. Yuugi might even laugh.

He finds that he doesn’t want to. He thinks of Sara, thinks of her words to him only a few days ago, Anzu’s too. _Emotion isn’t weakness. Your friends won’t judge you._ Without being able to stop them, his words come tumbling out.

“I haven’t felt like this since my parents died,” he admits, “It was hard enough dealing with our mom dying right after Mokuba was born, but at least we had our dad. And he was a good one… took us to parks and arcades… made us dinner almost every night. He always told us how much he loved us, whenever he could.”

“What happened?”

“Car accident. Killed him instantly. Poor Mokuba… I probably scared him half to death with how much I carried on. He was only three. He didn’t know what it meant for someone to be dead… but I did. Then we were taken in by an uncle who only wanted what little inheritance we had, and well… you know the rest of the story, Yuugi.”

“I’m sorry, Kaiba,” he replies, “None of that should’ve happened to you. You should’ve had people to look after you, to take care of you, and I’m sorry you didn’t.”

“Me too.”

Another silent moment passes before Yuugi timidly asks, “What about when Gozaburo died?”

“I didn’t feel anything at first except relief. Then I was angry. I wanted him to live so he could suffer knowing I was better than him. But I was never sad, not like when our parents died.”

“Are you sad now? For-… For him?”

“Yes.”

It feels good to say, like a weight lifted from his chest. He doesn’t think he’ll cry, but it just feels good to tell another person how he’s really feeling. He feels something touch his hand and looks down. Yuugi’s hand is settled on top of his, touching him in the same casual way he touches all his friends, and a lump rises in Seto’s throat. _It’s nice._ He suppresses another shiver, this one of pleasure as he realizes how touch-starved he truly is.

“Yuugi… I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told anyone,” Seto manages, “I want your word you’ll keep it a secret.”

“Of course. You can tell me anything, Kaiba.”

“It’s-… Nishitani. That’s my name, the name I was born with… That’s who I would be if Gozaburo never came along or if my family actually kept us or if our parents never died. I’d be Nishitani Seto,” he explains quietly, “and sometimes I wonder who exactly Nishitani Seto would be.”

“I don’t know… but I might never have met Nishitani Seto. We might never have become friends. So, if it helps, I like _Kaiba_ Seto just fine. That’s my friend.”

Seto finds himself squeezing the smaller hand, and Yuugi continues in a soft, brittle voice, “He was your friend, too… Atem. You may have been rivals and you may have fought, but Atem always saw you as a friend.”

He might cry. Yuugi _is_ crying, fat tears rolling slowly down his cheeks. Something burns behind Seto’s eyes, something he thinks must be tears.

“I’m… I’m sorry you had to let him go, Yuugi.”

“Me too.”

It’s Yuugi’s turn to squeeze Seto’s hand. The silence is comfortable this time, both boys taking the time to rein in their emotions until Yuugi stifles a yawn.

“We should go to bed,” Seto says.

“Says the guy who never sleeps,” Yuugi teases.

“God, you sound like Mokuba.”

“Good, I’m sure he’s the sensible one.”

“I wouldn’t call him sensible. He’s just good at nagging.”

Yuugi giggles, and Seto finds he likes the sound a little more now. Maybe Anzu and Sara _were_ right after all. They head back up to their shared room, and once the door shuts, Seto mumbles, “If you tell anyone about this, I _will_ kill you,” and draws Yuugi into a hug. Yuugi is quick to hug back, saying, “Don’t worry… I’ll keep Nishitani’s secrets.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look a duel!
> 
> (sorry for the delay in posting i got sucked into another fandom and it's been eating my life)

Even though it’s morning, the sun is already bright and hot. Sara loves it. She dresses quickly, had set out her clothes last night after meeting the spirit, and she sets her long hair in a single braid. All she has to do is grab her deck and head down to the tomb. _I think I’m ready._

- _Of course you’re ready, Sara. I knew you would be._ -

Mereseshep appears briefly, grinning brightly, and continues, - _Remember, I’m going to be with you. Just trust in the Heart of the Cards._ -

_I will. Thank you._

She smiles to herself, the spirit gone, and places the deck in her pocket before running down to breakfast. Yuugi, Seto, and all their friends are there waiting for her. Yuugi looks more cheerful than he has in the week she’s known him, and Seto _might_ even be smiling. Anzu and Bakura dart forward to grab her arms and bring her over to a plate piled with food. Mokuba and Jonouchi grin beside it, clearly the architects of the food masterpiece, Otogi and Honda close behind them.

“Ya got a big day today, so we wanted to be sure ya had the best start,” Jonouchi says.

“We wanted to give you lots of encouragement too,” Bakura tells her warmly.

“You guys are all so wonderful. I can’t thank you enough. I mean it.”

Yuugi replies, “You’re our friend, Sara. We always help our friends.”

They sit down to eat, all chatting and smiling, everyone offering her advice for her duel. Her friends in the program come down, too, Tanisha and Jamey and Colleen… and Isis. She gets a mental picture of Phil sulking alone in his room and smirks.

“You’re gonna blow Phil outta the water,” Tanisha tells her, not-so-sneakily stealing some food from her massive plate, “I really mean that. You’re gonna destroy him.”

“Oh yeah, I’m gonna kick his ass, no problem.”

“Well, a little humiliation is what he deserves,” Colleen speaks up, “He thinks it’s so fun to humiliate others, I can’t wait to see how he likes it.”

“That’s what I can’t wait to see,” Jamey sighs, their expression dreamy, “I can already picture the look on his face when he loses-“

“Maybe you should picture what I’ll look like when I win. It’s much more realistic.”

_Of course he’s showing up to try and intimidate me. Well, two can play at that game._ Sara smirks at her plate, “Careful there, Philip… your bravado is showing. Besides, we all know _I’m_ gonna win today.”

“Fat chance. I spent half the night coming up with a flawless strategy-“

“Yeah, me too. You’re not special, Phil. Nice try, though. Now hurry up and eat so I can kick your ass. Hate to have you disqualified for being late or passing out.”

He scowls, stalking off to find his own breakfast without making it look like he’s following her orders. Sara huffs, says, “C’mon y’all, the air’s bad in here. Let’s head outside.”

Jamey perks up, “Can I have the rest of your breakfast?”

“Sure can. Bring it along.”

They give a little whoop of victory and grab the plate, carrying it with them as everyone heads out to walk to the tomb, leaving Phil alone in the small dining room. Sara makes it a point to walk by Yuugi. She has something to tell him.

“Y’know,” she says quietly, “I didn’t really believe some of the mumbo-jumbo about spirits and magic that y’all told me about when we first met, Yuugi, but-… well, I believe now. Mereseshep visited me last night, and we had a very nice chat.”

“About what?”

“All kinds of things… destiny, Duel Monsters, her life… my life. She told me the same thing you did, to trust the Heart of the Cards. I could hardly believe it, but there she was.”

“She didn’t mention anyone else, did she?”

“Someone like… Peherankhotep?”

“Maybe…”

“You did the right thing, Yuugi. I know it wasn’t easy, and I know it hurts… but it was right.”

“Was she nice? Mereseshep?” he asks, swiftly changing the subject, not looking at Sara.

“Oh, she was lovely. Much nicer than me, that’s for sure.”

“We think you’re nice.”

“That’s because I’m nice to you guys all the time,” she replies easily, “I’m always nice to people I like, but I know my own faults. One of them is being mean to people I don’t like, sometimes to people who don’t deserve it even if I think they do.”

“Well it sounds to me like Phil deserves it.”

“He certainly does.”

They finally approach the tomb, and there’s a sense of finality that feels comforting. _We have friends here. That’s why._ Sara finds herself smiling at the thought.

* * *

“It’s strange to be invisible to Yuugi now,” Atem says, looking out over the small crowd, “I keep expecting him to see me, to call to me, anything… so strange.”

“Do you wish you were still among them, my Pharaoh?” Mahad asks.

_Do you wish you were not with us?_ The second question lingers in the silence, unsaid, and Atem can only answer truthfully, “Sometimes… I was alone for a very long time, and then Yuugi was there, and for the first time in three thousand years, I wasn’t alone anymore. It’s only natural I should miss them.”

“Do not look so troubled, Mahad,” Isis says calmly, “Were there not those who lived whom you missed when you died?”

“I _know_ you missed _me_ ,” Mana teases, “I was your favorite student, after all!”

Mahad gives a heavy sigh, and Atem knows the magician has rolled his eyes. It makes him smile.

“I thought we were here to watch a Duel,” Karim says, “not argue.”

“It will be a fine Duel,” Kisara smiles, “The girl will be using my Dragons. The boy Seto has let her borrow them for the fight.”

“Interesting how that works, for you were the one who let me borrow the Dragon first. She was always yours,” Set tells her.

“Destiny has a way of coming back around.”

“Are you going to help her, Kisara? Guide her hand?” Atem asks.

“I already have. She knows to trust in the cards. That will be enough.”

Shada speaks up, “Especially since that boy Philip has no respect for either the cards or the dead who reside in this holy valley. He cares only for money and fame.”

“And that is why he will fail,” Kisara states.

“I agree,” Atem says, “His kind are always destined to fail.”

The dead watch as the living come together, the lone man approaching the group of friends. Atem smiles wider. He’s learned what the power of their friendship can do. Philip Biddle doesn’t stand a chance against them.

* * *

The Duel Disk is deceptively light, but its weight is still unfamiliar, makes Sara feel unbalanced. Thankfully, it seems to do the same to Phil. Neither of them are experienced Duelists. Mokuba explains the rules of their Duel, calling them ‘modified Battle City’ rules. It all makes basic sense to Sara, and Duel Disks have been programmed with all the proper information, so no one could cheat even if they wanted to.

“The opponents will now shuffle each other’s decks,” Mokuba announces.

Phil glares at her while he shuffles, but Sara isn’t scared of him. She ignores him, trying to give it her best shuffle. _I never was any good at shuffling._ They return each other’s deck, then return themselves to their battle positions.

“Sara, heads or tails?”

“Heads.”

The coin glitters as it flips through the air.

“It’s heads.”

“Sara, you go first. Remember the rules,” Seto calls, “Let the Duel begin!”

They both draw their five cards, and Sara grins. It’s a good hand, if she plays it right.

“Okay then… I’ll set this Monster face down, and I set another card face down. That ends my turn. You’re up, Phil.”

“Hmph… I play a Monster in Attack position! Dark Blade!”

The knight materializes on the field, and for a moment, it startles Sara, the reality of the image despite the face down cards that she’s set. To see the Monster is something else. Phil grins, shouts, “Dark Blade! Attack!”

“Nice try! My Trap activates! Crush Card Virus!”

Her set Monster flips over, and Saggi the Dark Clown disappears from the field, the required Tribute to activate the Trap. Dark Blade’s attack stops, that Monster also disappearing. Sara can’t resist the taunt, “Now say goodbye to all the Monsters in your hand with over 1500 ATK… oh, and to three Monsters in your deck with over 1500 ATK, too.”

Phil discards every card in his hand but one, his Duel Disk randomly selecting the three cards from his deck for him to discard. _He doesn’t look happy, but I probably wouldn’t, either._

“I think that makes it my turn,” Sara says, “I’m gonna Summon Vorse Raider in Attack position. Then I play this Spell card, Silent Doom, bringing back Saggi the Dark Clown in Defense position.”

“Well, are you gonna attack?”

“I’d like to keep this Duel interesting, so no. Your turn.”

“Fine,” he draws, scowls, says, “I set a Monster face down… Guess that’s all I have for now.”

Sara draws her next card and looks at her hand. She could finish this now… but there are things she wants to know first.

“Why do you hate me, Phil?” she asks, “You hate me so much.”

“What?”

“I just wanna know why. I don’t know what I did to make you hate me.”

“Trying to get me kicked out of school doesn’t ring any bells?”

“Uh, you tried to plagiarize me!”

“You said you’d be my friend, Sara!” he shouts, “You said you’d be my friend, and then you backstabbed me!”

“ _I_ backstabbed _you_? You were the one who tried to steal from me! I said I would be your friend, that’s true, but _you_ were the one who threw it all away by trying to steal my work! Friends don’t steal from each other, Phil! You _never_ wanted to be friends with me, you just wanted someone to piggyback off of!” she bellows, “Someone who steals from their friends is the lowest of the low, and someone who pretends to be your friend to steal from you is even worse! I was really willing to be your friend, Phil, and _you’re_ the one who ruined it, not me!”

His expression is thoroughly scandalized, so Sara continues, “I set a Monster face down and end my turn.”

“I Summon Hunter Dragon in Attack position. Hunter Dragon, attack Saggi the Dark Clown!”

Sara braces herself, holographic bits of Saggi flying past her.

“My turn, and you’ve left yourself open to attack by Vorse Raider! Vorse Raider, attack!”

“I activate the Quick Play Spell, Enemy Controller, and switch Vorse Raider to Defense position!”

She watches as the beast drops to a kneeling position.

“And now it’s my turn again,” Phil smirks, “and I Summon Luster Dragon in Attack position. Hunter Dragon, attack Vorse Raider!… and Luster Dragon, attack her face down card!”

The card flips, revealing the trap she’d laid.

“I activate Maiden with Eyes of Blue’s effect! This negates your attack, and lets me Special Summon this! Blue-Eyes White Dragon!”

The beast screeches into life, the hologram even more real then the ghost in her room last night. There’s fear in Phil’s eyes. _Good._

“And now it’s my turn. First, I play the Spell card, Pot of Greed,” she says, drawing her two cards, “Then I Summon Lord of Dragon in Attack position… and last but certainly not least, I play The Flute of Summoning Dragon, and you’ll never believe what two dragons I have in my hand.”

“What? It can’t be!”

“Oh, but it is. Two more Blue-Eyes White Dragons! Aren’t they beautiful? Think I’ll end my turn.”

“I-… I set a Monster face down… and I switch my other two Monsters to Defense position. You- Your turn.”

“Wonderful… First, a Spell card, Burst Stream of Destruction! This destroys all your Monsters, and makes it the perfect time to use Polymerization! I think I’ll fuse all my Blue-Eyes together so you can meet Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”

She’s a remarkable beast, her three heads dancing, her long tail curled protectively around Sara. _Thank you, Mereseshep._ Phil looks like he’s ready to cry, and Sara can’t say she feels any remorse for him nor for her next words.

“Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack his Life Points directly! Neutron Blast!”

All three jaws drop open, light pooling in the magnificent maws. _No… I don’t feel bad._ The light bursts across the field of battle between them, Phil screaming in fear even though the hologram can’t hurt him. The sound fills her with a savage joy. For a brief moment, she feels (she thinks) what Mereseshep must have felt when she unleashed this beast from inside herself. Phil’s Life Points plummet to zero, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon curls herself around Sara before the hologram flickers out of life.

“Sara is the winner!” Mokuba cheers.

Phil is still crying when Sara approaches him, and only now does she even begin to feel a hint of pity for him.

“What am I supposed to do now?” he whines.

“What you said you would do,” she says gently, “Go back home and never contact me again… unless…”

“Unless what?”

Sara’s learned a lot this week, and not just about a lost pharaoh. Yuugi and Seto both said that Peherankhotep was a forgiving person, that even when people were horrible to him, he tried to forgive and befriend them. Sometimes it even worked.

“Unless you learn a little bit about what it means to be a true friend to someone, and you wanna try again… but you’re not gonna learn that here. It’s better if you go home, Phil.”

He closes his eyes, tears slipping down his cheeks. A gentle wind blows around them, and Sara thinks she feels someone at her side, might hear a whisper of, “You’ve done so well,” in her ear. Maybe, just maybe, she hears the faint echo of applause.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a nice short epilogue

“Kaiba-sama, you have a call on line three,” the secretary calls, “apparently urgent.”

“Patch it through.”

He waits for it to ring, then picks up with, “Kaiba Seto, what is it?”

“ _Well, that’s no way to greet an old friend, is it, Seto?_ ”

“Sara, how are you?”

“ _Amazing! Say, I wanted to video call with everyone with some important news! Think you can get the gang all together in a couple hours?_ ”

“Probably, I’m sure the geek squad would love to hear from you.”

“ _Always so warm… Thanks, Seto. What’s the best way for me to get through?…_ ”

With the details hashed out, Seto hangs up and calls Yuugi, knowing he’ll be able to gather everyone else easily. Yuugi excitedly agrees, though he wants to surprise them with who they’ll be seeing. It’s been a few months since they’ve seen Sara, after all, and Seto is very interested in the fruits of his investment.

“Why’re we here anyway?” Jonouchi grumbles after a few minutes, “I’m sure Kaiba didn’t just invite us over for snacks.”

“Of course not! You’re here to see me!”

Sara’s face pops up on the large screen, grinning, and she isn’t alone. Tanisha, Jamey, Colleen, and Isis are all with her.

“It’s so good to see you!” Anzu exclaims, “How are you?”

“We’re great! That’s why I wanted to call! We’ve finally waded through all the codes on the steles, and we’ve found the Pharaoh’s name, his story, everything!” Sara tells them excitedly, “And I gotta say, Atem was really incredible. I can see why you all loved him.”

The wave of nostalgia is almost palpable, everyone remembering the Pharaoh fondly. She continues, “We’re gonna be publishing the paper soon, and I wanted you all to know. Of course, I’ll send you all copies if you’d like.”

“Oh, I’d love one!” Bakura says.

“We found out about everyone, including Kisara, Pharaoh Set, Mahad, Mana, all of them. We’re going to make sure the world remembers all of them. I promise.”

“Thank you,” Yuugi says earnestly, “I know he probably doesn’t care about being remembered… but we do.”

“Of course… anything for a friend.”

“You’ll present your findings at the Domino Museum, I hope?” Seto asks.

“I look forward to it, Seto… as long as KaibaCorp puts us up in a nice hotel while we’re there,” she smirks.

He returns the expression.

“Of course, Sara. Anything for a friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's the end! I hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> I've done my best to research Ancient Egyptian names. I used the 'List of Ancient Egyptians' on Wikipedia and clicked through to see various name cognates. If you know more than I do and see something egregious, let me know and I'll be happy to fix it!


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